Mokwena: Mosimane Paved The Way For SA Coaches In Africa
MC Alger coach Rulani Mokwena has heaped praise on his former colleague, Pitso Mosimane, crediting him for paving the way for South African coaches to get jobs around the continent.
In an interview with SAFJA, Mokwena revealed that Mosimane’s success with Al Ahly in Egypt was a significant factor in changing the perception of South African coaches in the region.
Mosimane’s stint with Al Ahly from 2020 to 2022 was highly successful, with the team winning six trophies, including the Egyptian Premier League, Egypt Cup, and two CAF Champions League titles, and two CAF Super Cups.
He left Sundowns after he won the treble in the 2019/20 season, where he was flanked by Mokwena as his assistant coach.
“Coach Pitso had a big influence on that (SA coaches getting opportunities in North Africa),” Mokwena said, who flanked Mosimane when Sundowns won the Champions League in 2016.
“His success with Al Ahly was probably the door opener. Not only his success on the pitch, with regards to what he did in the Champions League, but also with regards to his work and conduct as a professional coach.”
Mokwena also praised Mosimane’s ability to manage a big changing room and deal with pressure.
“And also his ability to manage a big changing room at that time showed that South African coaches do have the capacity to manage in the North and deal with the pressure of managing big clubs with a lot of pressure from the fans,” he added.
Mokwena, who has also benefited from the opportunities in North Africa, having coached Wydad Casablanca and now MC Alger, expressed his gratitude to Mosimane.
“Coach Pitso deserves a lot of credit for opening the way,” he stated.
“I was fortunate to work with him for many years, and so I know the man. To be honest, I owe a lot of who I am today to him.
“So, from that perspective, I could say that was one of the things (that made North Africans recognize SA coaches).”
His success in Egypt has paved the way for other South African coaches to make a mark in North Africa.
Mokwena’s own journey in North Africa began in 2024 when he joined Wydad Casablanca after parting ways with Sundowns.
Although his stint with Wydad was short-lived, he has since joined MC Alger, where he is currently plying his trade. Another South African coach making waves in North Africa is Fadlu Davids, who is currently coaching Raja Casablanca in Morocco.
While Davids did not have the opportunity to work with Mosimane, he did work with Mokwena at Orlando Pirates, where they were both assistant coaches under the guidance of the Serbian mentor, Milutin Sredojević.
