Call him pompous, big-headed or whatever, but the fact remains, that Rulani Mokwena is destined for greatness and no one can change that. 

Mokwena’s departure from Mamelodi Sundowns came as an absolute shocker to many, especially having done so well for the team and still having ambitions of clinching the Caf Champions League with the Brazilians. 

To be honest, I’m one of the people who were surprised by his exit. I mean, we talking about someone who has dominated the DStv Premiership for many years now and has stamped his authority in the continent despite not being able to clinch the Champions League title or the Confederation Cup. But he did win the inaugural African Football (AFL) League with the Pretoria outfit and that says a lot about the type of coach he is. 

The truth is, I know a lot of Sundowns fans are disappointed about Mokwena’s departure from the club, however, instead of moaning about it, they should be glad that he was able to keep the club afloat and left a legacy. 

His move to Morocco after being announced as the head coach of Wydad Casablanca is a step in the right direction for him.

After all, we all know how ambitious Mokwena is. He is following on the football steps of his former colleague Pitso Mosimane, who joined Al-Ahly after leaving Downs. 

Mokwena has a fantastic opportunity to grow as a coach at Wydad and this move will certainly open doors for him like Ahly did for Mosimane.

As a patriotic South African and football fanatic, I’m excited about his move to Casablanca. They are one of the best teams in the continent and Mokwena is bound to shine at the club. 

Let’s stop being negative about everything and see the positive in this move. 

And before wrapping up this piece, Mokwena is a coach that he thinks he is. He is not big-headed nor pompous, hence they call him “Mourinho” after former Chelsea and Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho. He knows what he is doing and his managerial skills are on another level hence the Moroccans were quick to snap him up.

Opinion piece by Tshepo Toko Ntsoelengoe