Sundowns reappoints Rulani Mokwena as assistant coach to strengthen technical bench
South African club Mamelodi Sundown reappointed Rulani Mokwena as the club’s assistant coach as it looks to strengthen its technical bench in a bid to achieve more football glory.
Mokwena returns to the role he left in 2017 when he joined Sundowns’ Premier League Soccer rivals Orlando Pirates.
Mokwena linked up with the rest of the squad which was in the city of Rustenburg for a mini-training camp at the Royal Marang Hotel, having received the results of his COVID-19 test.
“Mokwena will add a new dimension to our already accomplished technical team and will make a valuable contribution to Sundowns,” the statement read in part.
Sundowns Coach Pitso Mosimane welcomed Mokwena noting that he understood the desire for him to go out and seek more experience.
“He started his career here, he moved on for a while, but we are all coaches, we are ambitious. We need to try to test ourselves and we need to explore, learn and see.”
Mosimane, who signed a four-year contract extension with the 2016 African champions in May, added that given the project that the club was embarking on, they felt that it was necessary to bring back Mokwena.
Having won the CAF Champions League in 2016, Mosimane added that winning Africa’s premier club competition will be one of Sundowns’ main targets.
“He is now a better person and a better coach, he has learnt a lot, 3 years down the line, he has seen things and coached as a head coach. We are receiving an improved Rulani.”
Mokwena told the Sundowns media team that he received a warm welcome from everyone on his return and he was excited to see several familiar faces.
“It was fantastic. A warm welcome; the coaches welcomed me very well, the sessions were very well organised, the players gave me the normal amount of respect that they gave me before I left,” the 35-year-old said.