The 37-year-old tactician has wasted no time in luring his former colleagues to Morocco
Rhulani Mokwena might have promised not to take Mamelodi Sundowns players with him to Morocco but he is not leaving behind their former coaches.
Mokwena has confirmed the first South African coach to link up with him at Wydad Athletic Club being his ex-colleague at Sundowns Sinethemba Badela and he still intends to lure more if they buy into the project.
“I am at the office now already and coach Themba Badela is also here,” Mokwena told SABC Radio 2000 Sports Show Game on.
“We are working, trying to sort out the squad and the training facilities. There is a lot of work to be done here. It’s a very big club, only a few months ago they were lifting the Champions League. So, it’s a sleeping giant but fortunately, the giant has not been sleeping for too long.”
‘It’s been a bit difficult to convince people to join us’
Mokwena then delved into the composition of his backroom staff at Wydad, saying he is still constructing his technical team although he is facing difficulties to convince some of his ex-Sundowns colleagues to join him.
“No, we have not finalised [the technical team]. It’s a difficult one because I have accepted a project that everyone is saying to me, where are you going? When you try to convince some of the staff, it becomes difficult because you also don’t want to be bringing people for the sake of bringing in people,” added the 37-year-old.
“You want to bring in competent people who are not afraid of the challenge. It’s been a bit difficult to convince people to join us. For example, Michael Loftman is one of the people I wanted here. But he is really adamant about taking a sabbatical.
Mokwena has a free hand to bring in his backroom staff
“We had discussed between myself and Michael that we would be taking a sabbatical and that was before even Wydad came or also lost the job. I don’t know what the technical team will look like eventually but I think coach Michael will join a bit later,” Mokwena confirmed.
Mokwena signed a three-year deal at Wydad last week as he begins a new chapter after his surprise exit from Sundowns and according to reports in Morocco, he will have local coaches on his technical bench to ease his adaptation.
The two-time PSL title-winning coach has been given a free hand to bring in his own men and is also believed to have a final say on transfers, one of the key reasons he left Sundowns.
