Khoza lifts the lid on Mokwena’s future at Pirates
Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza says Rulani Mokwena is still very much part of the Sea Robbers’ technical team.
Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena explains why some players are not available for selection. Picture: BackpagePix.
Mokwena has been absent from Pirates bench since he was demoted to assistant coach following the appointment of German coach Josef Zinnbauer, thereby raising speculation that he could be on his way out of Pirates.
“At any team an interim coach is an interim coach. When the head coach departs you have to appoint an interim coach,” Khoza told IOL.
“It could be the same guy getting the job, or another guy getting appointed. We’ve got confidence in the boy.
“He has got potential. He has asked for study leave and we granted him that because it is for his growth and the club. He is still part of the technical team.”
Meanwhile, Khoza is pleased with the work Zinnbauer has done since joining Pirates and does not want to put pressure on the new coach.
“Pirates is a big club. The mandate at any big club is to win trophies. You must win something at big clubs. But we can’t just talk about mandates,” he said.
“The guy is just trying to adjust himself. Here we are not talking about a coach who had a pre-season or whatever. He didn’t do any pre-season. He has just started.
“We can’t talk about mandates when he joined us in the middle of the season. He didn’t have proper preparation, why do we now talk about mandates? The guy has to stabilise the team.”
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