Portsmouth defender Haji Mnoga has completed a loan switch to National League Aldershot Town for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign, as confirmed via a statement on the club’s website.
The 21-year-old has re-joined the National League side, following a successful stint during the second half of the previous campaign. He has joined ahead of the club’s opening match against newly promoted Oxford City this weekend.
Who is Haji Mnoga?
The defender is a product of the Portsmouth academy and has experience at League One, League Two and international level in his career so far. This includes loan spells with the likes of Bromley, Weymouth and Gillingham so far.
He started the 2022/23 campaign with League Two side Gillingham, but was limited to just five first-team appearances and returned to Fratton Park in January. Within two weeks, Mnoga completed a switch to Aldershot Town for the remainder of the season, making 17 appearances.
A busy summer continues
Portsmouth have been extremely active in the transfer window so far, as John Mousinho and his side compete to reach the top six in League One next season, following their failure to do so last season, despite finishing eighth.
Pompey have already added Lincoln City captain Regan Poole, Wigan Athletic winger Anthony Scully and Burnley’s Will Norris to their ranks, with plenty more alternative reinforcements joining the League One side. This meant that departures in both loan and permanent deals were expected.
What’s been said?
Following the transfer confirmation, Aldershot Town manager Tommy Widdrington spoke to the club’s website, where he stated…
“Haji impressed me on my arrival last season and I made it clear to him that should the opportunity to work together arise I would be delighted to take that up.
“I’ve been in constant contact with Portsmouth since the summer and the moment Haji became available, I showed real interest which he reciprocated.”
Writer’s View
This signing is a major boost to Aldershot Town, ahead of this weekend’s season opener. The club have lost several players but to be able to re-sign Mnoga should bring a huge morale boost to the National League side.
Elsewhere, this is also a smart move by Portsmouth as it allows a young defender to go out and earn more first-team football on a consistent basis. This move is a win-win for all parties involved.
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