Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca have unveiled Rhulani Mokwena as their new coach, a quick return to the dugout for the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach.
Mokwena left the Tshwane-based side a week ago, and after interest from several clubs, he has been snapped up by Wydad, a team where his former Sundowns boss Pitso Mosimane enjoyed a good relationship with the fans.
Mokwena met Wydad in the semifinals of the CAF Champions League in the 2022-23 season, but following a 0-0 draw away in the first leg, a 2-2 stalemate at home meant in was the north African team that went through to the final on the away goals rule.
Welcome aboard, Coach Rhulani Mokwena! Ready to lead us to victory! 🌟⚽#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/mEyhXUZKoF
— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) July 11, 2024
But they have been regular opponents for Sundowns down the years, including when Mokwena was assistant coach to Mosimane, and he will be well aware of the stature of the club.
Mokwena won four league titles in a row as co-coach and later sole head coach of Sundowns, a feat no other tactician in the domestic game has managed.
He came close to guiding The Brazilians to a domestic league ‘Invincibles’ season in 2023-24, only to lose their final day of the campaign to Cape Town City.
He still took the side to a record points haul for a 30-game DStv Premiership season of 73, a record winning margin of 23 points ahead of nearest rivals Orlando Pirates, and a record goal-difference of +41.
With just 11 goals conceded in 30 games, his side also equalled the PSL record of Kaizer Chiefs (2003-04) as Sundowns dominated the local league like no other side has in the past.
He won the inaugural eight-team Africa Football League, so has a continental title under his belt, and lost the finals of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup, both to boyhood club Orlando Pirates.
But the biggest disappointment will have come in the CAF Champions League, where he could not guide them to the final again, falling short in the semifinals to Esperance of Tunisia.