Mokwena Lands A New Club In Algeria

Algerian club MC Alger has officially announced the appointment of South African coach Rulani Mokwena.

This confirmation follows earlier reports on Sunday by Sportswire that Mokwena was on the verge of joining the Algerian side.

Reports indicate that Mokwena has signed a two-year deal with the back-to-back Algerian Ligue 1 champions. He takes over from Tunisian mentor Khaled Ben Yahia, who joined the Algiers-based club in December 2024 on a short-term deal.

Ben Yahia led MC Alger to a league title and an Algerian Super Cup, defeating Sead Ramović’s and Khanyisa Mayo’s CR Belouizdad in both competitions. MC Alger was eliminated by Orlando Pirates, Mokwena’s former club, in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals last season.

Mokwena was previously unattached after his departure from Wydad Casablanca before the end of last season, reportedly due to fan pressure in Morocco. Prior to that, the highly-rated South African coach was dismissed by Mamelodi Sundowns at the end of the 2023/24 season, despite guiding them to the inaugural African Football League title and a league championship where they suffered only one defeat.

His move to MC Alger is likely to reignite his rivalry with Sead Ramović of CR Belouizdad. The two coaches notably clashed multiple times during the 2023/24 season, with Ramović famously nicknaming Mokwena “Mr. Sunshine.” Mokwena is expected to bring five technical team members with him to his new role in Algeria.