Rulani Mokwena has disclosed how his respect for his mentor Pitso Mosimane saw him recently reject a big job from an Egyptian club.
Mokwena is out of work following his departure from Moroccan giants Wydad AC in May but he could perhaps be firming up a deal to return to North Africa by now had he not turned down a lucrative offer.
Reports last month claimed that both Mokwena and Mosimane were in the running for the Zamalek job and the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has revealed how learning that his ex-boss was also being considered saw him withdraw from the race.
“The easiest to bat away would be Zamalek and I did not hear from them after I said I had heard that coach Pitso was in the running for the position,” Mokwena said on SuperSport TV’s Soccer Africa.
Why would Rulani not compete with Pitso for a job?
“My relationship, my respect for him would not allow me to compete with coach Pitso for a coaching job. It just wouldn’t sit well with me. So, I pulled out and I said I would rather they give it to coach Pitso.
“My agent said this is a big club but my respect for coach Pitso and what he has done for my career is massive,” added the 38-year-old.
Mokwena, who has admitted that he would be open to taking over at Pirates, regards Mosimane very highly as he played a major part in his development as a coach.
It is “Jingles” who lured Mokwena to Sundowns in 2014 where he started out with the development side before he made him one of his assistants during his trophy-laden stint with the Brazilians.
Mokwena owes his coaching career to Mosimane
Mokwena would leave in 2017 to become assistant coach to Serbian tactician Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and in August 2019 after his boss resigned, he was made interim coach at the Soweto giants.
He managed 14 league matches, winning four, drawing five and losing as many, before he was replaced by Josef Zinnbauer in December that year and became his assistant.
After a brief stint at Chippa United in 2020, Mokwena returned to Sundowns that year to work as co-coach alongside Manqoba Mngqithi when Mosimane left to join Al Ahly of Egypt and two years later, he was made head coach.
His success as Sundowns coach, where he won a total of four league titles as well as the inaugural African Football League, while playing an attractive style, has seen him lauded as one of the best tacticians in Africa.
