Rulani Mokwena says having not played football professionally means he has to work four times more to prove that he is good enough as a coach.
Mokwena, who currently manages Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club, did not have a stint at the very top as a player, having started out with the U17 at a club called Fulham in Dube, Orlando West, which he captained after which he became coach for the U12 team.
That thrust him into coaching and he would go on to manage Orlando Pirates and Chippa United briefly before linking up with Pitso Mosimane as his assistant at Mamelodi Sundowns.
Why does Mokwena have to work four times more?
When Mosimane left in 2020, Mokwena was made co-coach alongside Manqoba Mngqithi for two years before being promoted as head coach and maintained Sundowns’ supremacy in South African football.
“I have to work four times as hard as some coaches because of my handicap. I didn’t play professional football and I know how the world reacts to that,” Mokwena told Forbes Africa about what puts him under more scrutiny.
“Coaches who did not play the game at a professional level have got very little to fall back on when they fail, because they don’t have a reputation of having made people happy in their playing days.”
The 37-year-old tactician is feeling the love in Morocco
Like Mosimane, who left Sundowns for North Africa, Mokwena is at ease in Morocco where he feels the environment will make him succeed.
“One wise guy said to me, ‘go where you’re loved’. I feel loved and appreciated by the Wydad fans, and that’s why I’m here,” he added.
“Who says no to a club like Wydad? It’s impossible. The offer was too good to refuse. I’m happy to be here.”
Mokwena has won two of his first four games at Wydad, losing one and drawing another.
