Rulani Mokwena has opened up regarding the problems he encountered at Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club, leading to his early departure.
Mokwena joined Wydad in July 2024 on a three-year contract but by April 2025, he was already an unwanted man, leading to a parting of ways, after a section of fans and people within the club hierarchy wanted him out.
The tactician has termed his spell in Morocco a “pressure cooker” situation that he says he needed in his coaching career following his shocking exit from Mamelodi Sundowns last July and while he enjoyed the football and the country, there was a lot behind the scene that made his job very difficult.
Did Mokwena fail to do his due diligence?
“The noise became so much for the president, he stalled and tried to convince people that we are in a project and they said we signed 29 players but we needed to sign. There were only two players left,” Mokwena explained on SuperSport TV’s Soccer Africa.
“There was a transfer ban. I didn’t know there was chaos. I did not know all the players had left. One would come for training today and the next day they would be gone and next week five would go due to the ban,” he added, giving a picture of the problems he faced.
Mokwena took charge of 29 competitive games at Wydad, winning 12, drawing as many and suffered five defeats and when it was clear that he would not get second place, which would come with CAF Champions League qualification, he was seen as a failure.
However, the 38-year-old feels he was pushed out not because of results but rather where he came from, claiming some people within the Wydad hierarchy and the fans wanted a Moroccan as coach instead of him.
Rulani claims Wydad fraternity wanted Moroccan coach
“People believed in our abilities but the feeling I got is that Morocco is extremely patriotic. There is a very strong love and hate relationship with [Walid] Regragui [Morocco national team coach] but there is some pride that one of them took them to the semi-final of the World Cup,” he went on.
“The feeling I got is that people would appreciate having a Moroccan coach taking Wydad to the Club World Cup.
“I respect it because it makes sense but how it was done is what does not make sense. In 2025, we were unbeaten and I do believe we were onto something, the players were more comfortable but I respect the deep sense of patriotism.”
Mokwena has since returned to South Africa as he weighs a number of offers that have come his way, having admitted that he would be open to taking over at Orlando Pirates.
