Khoza backs Mokwena to succeed at Pirates
Orlando Pirates chairperson Irvin Khoza believes that Rulani Mokwena has the potential to emulate Pitso Mosimane and become one of the country’s most celebrated coaches.
Orlando Pirates assistant coach Rulani Mokwena (BackpagePix)
Mokwena is enduring a tough start to his role as Pirates coach, with the club yet to win a game since he took over Micho Sredojevic last month.
But Khoza is confident that Mokwena will turn things around at the Buccaneers.
“Pitso was given an opportunity [at] an early age and he didn’t fail. He exploited the opportunity and never looked back. Hopefully, Rulani will also exploit his [opportunity],” Khoza told IOL.
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“It is not an easy job this. You need to have a certain kind of temperament. But Rulani is a very hard-working young man who loves his football. He is very passionate and he works smart.
“He needs to understand his team – that is both the technical team and his players. He has to learn all those elements. He must understand that at Pirates, it is not about you but it is about the team. You have to get the team behind you and understand your competition,” added Khoza.
“Modern football has a lot of challenges. You have to research and analyse in order to have a competitive edge over your rivals. You must learn quickly and keep up with the rest of the world.”
Mokwena will be looking to bag his first win for Pirates when Bucs host Chippa United at Orlando Stadium next week Saturday.
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