Kamohelo Mokotjo

Kamohelo Mokotjo (born 11 March 1991) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Sekhukhune United. After beginning his career in his native South Africa, he came to prominence in the Netherlands with FC Twente and later played in England for Brentford and in the United States for FC Cincinnati. He represents South Africa at international level.

Club career

SuperSport United

A defensive midfielder, Mokotjo began his career in his native South Africa with the Supersport United academy. He was promoted into the first team squad at age 16 and made one senior appearance for the club, as a substitute for Shane Poggenpoel in a 1–0 defeat to Santos on 20 December 2008. He was an unused substitute on three other occasions during the 2008–09 season and departed the club in August 2009.

Feyenoord

After a successful three month trial, Mokotjo transferred to Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord on 28 August 2009. Mokotjo was immediately loaned to Eerste Divisie club Excelsior for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. He made 30 appearances and scored one goal in a successful season, which ended with Excelsior winning promotion to the Eredivisie through the promotion/relegation playoffs. Mokotjo was named as the club's Young Player of the Year.

Mokotjo made his Feyenoord debut with a start in a KNVB Cup third round shootout defeat to Roda JC Kerkrade on 22 September 2010. During an injury-affected 2010–11 season, he made 15 appearances.

Mokotjo was utilised mostly as a substitute and as a utility player by manager Ronald Koeman during the first half of the 2011–12 season, which prompted the suggestion that he would leave the club in search of first team football. Mokotjo remained at De Kuip and set up a goal in a key 4–2 De Klassieker victory over Ajax on 29 January 2012, which prompted the club to award him a new two-year contract. Despite suffering from another niggling injury, Mokotjo finished the 2011–12 season with 22 appearances and helped Feyenoord to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie.

Mokotjo was largely frozen out of the first team squad during the 2012–13 season, due to injuries and concerns over his rate of development. Despite rumours that he would go out on loan or leave the club permanently during the January transfer window, Mokotjo remained with the club throughout the season, but made just one appearance, as a 90th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory over ADO Den Haag on 16 December 2012. Mokotjo departed Feyenoord in May 2013, having made 38 appearances in three seasons as a first team player with the club.

PEC Zwolle

On 10 May 2013, Mokotjo transferred to Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle. Despite some injury troubles, he had a successful first season at the MAC³PARK Stadion, making 33 appearances, scoring two goals and winning the first silverware of his career, the KNVB Cup, which qualified the club for the Europa League. For his performances during the season, he won the club's Supporters' Player of the Year award and was nominated as one of the Eredivisie's Most Valuable Players.

Mokotjo's first appearance of the 2014–15 season turned out to be his last for the club, a 1–0 victory over Ajax in the 2014 Johan Cruyff Shield, in which he set up Stef Nijland to score the Bluefingers' goal. He left the club on 8 August 2014, after making 34 appearances and scoring two goals during just over one season at the MAC³PARK Stadion.

Twente

On 8 August 2014, Mokotjo joined Eredivisie club FC Twente on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee (reported to be €1.5 million), which was rumoured to be a club record. He had a solid first season at De Grolsch Veste, making 40 appearances and scoring one goal as Twente finished in mid-table. Mokotjo was again a mainstay in the team during the 2015–16 season and only missed matches for personal reasons.

Following the departure of Felipe Gutiérrez, Mokotjo was named as captain for the 2016–17 season and acquired the nickname "The General" for his leadership of the young squad. He made 33 appearances and scored one goal during a season in which the Tukkers would have qualified for the Eredivisie European competition playoffs, had the club not been in the middle of a ban from playing in European competitions. He left the club in July 2017, having made 105 appearances and scored three goals during three seasons at De Grolsch Veste.

Brentford

On 7 July 2017, Mokotjo moved to England to join Championship club Brentford on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be €1 million. The transfer completed a two-year scouting process, with previous transfer bids having failed due to work permit issues. Despite admitting that he found it difficult to adjust to English football, Mokotjo held down a starting spot throughout the early months of the campaign and by mid-December was ready "to take it to the next level". He scored his first goal for the club with the opener in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland on 17 February 2018 and finished the 2017–18 season with 41 appearances.

Mokotjo alternated between a starting and a substitute role during the early months of the 2018–19 season under head coach Dean Smith, but after recovering from a calf injury in December 2018, he broke into the starting lineup under Smith's replacement Thomas Frank. When fit, Mokotjo was a regular starter and finished the season with 37 appearances and four goals.

During the first half of the 2019–20 season, Mokotjo alternated between starting and substitute roles, before being sidelined with a knee ligament injury in January 2020. After returning to fitness, Mokotjo signed a short-term contract extension to ensure his availability for the final matches of the COVID-19-affected 2019–20 season. He finished the season with 26 appearances and one goal, but did not feature during the Bees' unsuccessful playoff campaign and was released when his short-term contract expired. During three seasons at Griffin Park, Mokotjo made 102 appearances and scored six goals.

FC Cincinnati

On 20 August 2020, Mokotjo moved to the United States to sign an undisclosed-length contract with Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati on a free transfer. Work permit and quarantine issues delayed Mokotjo's debut until 4 October 2020 and he made 9 appearances during what remained of the 2020 season. He made just 13 appearances during a 2021 season in which FC Cincinnati finished bottom of Major League Soccer. Mokotjo was left unprotected by the club in the 2021 MLS Expansion Draft, but was not picked. On 18 January 2022, the club bought out Mokotjo's guaranteed contract. He made just 22 appearances during 18 months at the TQL Stadium.

Free agent

In January 2022, it was reported that Mokotjo would return to FC Twente on trial, but the arrangement was scuppered due to him requiring knee surgery. Following the surgery, he undertook his rehab with the club and began the 2022–23 pre-season with the squad. In early August 2022, a reoccurence of Mokotjo's knee injury led to the possibility of a contract being put on hold. Moves to SuperSport United and Kaizer Chiefs in January 2023 failed to materialise.

Sekhukhune United

On 12 January 2022, Mokotjo signed an 18-month contract with South African Premier Division club Sekhukhune United.

International career

Mokotjo captained South Africa's U12 national team to victory at the 2003 Danone Nations Cup