Rulani Mokwena lures Mamelodi Sundowns defender to Morocco

Published on by Joel Oliver, updated on

The left-footed player has left the Brazilians to reunite with his former coach at Wydad

Rulani Mokwena has not lived up to his promise of not signing Mamelodi Sundowns players for Moroccan giants Wydad AC after the capture of defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil.

Sundowns announced the departure of Boutouil after both parties agreed to terminate his contract and the Moroccan is set to return home and join Wydad, reuniting with his former coach Mokwena.

The defender is believed to have signed a two-year contract with the option to extend for another, joining a host of new signings made by Wydad since Mokwena took over at the start of July.

Will Abdelmounaim Boutouil succeed at Wydad

Boutouil has not been involved with Sundowns this season after arriving for pre-season with an injury but he had already expressed a desire to return home.

He got his wish when both clubs agreed on a deal, giving him a chance to sign for another of the big three in Morocco, having previously played for Raja Casablanca and FAR Rabat.

Boutouil joined Sundowns in July 2022 and made 31 appearances while scoring one goal to win two league titles.

Moroccan giants have signed lots of players

He joins former Sundowns teammate Cassius Mailula at Wydad, who have also added Nabil Marmouk, Ayman Dairani, Hamza Sakhi, Zakaria Nassik, Abdelali Mhamdi, Jawad Khalouk, Mohamed Moufid and Mohamed Rayhi to the squad in a bid to return to the top of Moroccan football.

Wydad finished a disappointing sixth in the league to miss out on continental football and Mokwena is tasked with restoring their pride and place at the top of Moroccan football.

Mokwena had promised not to go for Sundowns players during his unveiling at Wydad although club president Hicham Ait Menna clarified that he would not hesitate if any was available.

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.