Wydad confirm the appointment of Mokwena

Rulani Mokwena has landed the head coaching position at Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca a week after parting ways with Mamelodi Sundowns. Mokwena and Sundowns agreed to go their separate ways following a return of only the DStv Premiership championship and African Football League (AFL) crown last season.

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Although Mokwena failed to add a second Caf Champions League title to Sundowns’ cabinet, his star rose on the continent. Wydad has wasted no time in bringing in the highly-rated tactician on board.

His appointment by the Casablanca powerhouse was announced on Thursday afternoon, much to the delight of the club’s fans on social media. Sundowns won the inaugural AFL competition at the expense of Wydad with a 3-2 aggregate win in the final.

Ironically, it was Wydad who knocked Masandawana out of the champions league in 2023. It’s well-documented that Mokwena had a fall out with Sundowns sporting director Flemming Berg, however, his shortcomings in the continent’s premier club competition proved to be his biggest downfall.

The outspoken South African coach has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the three-time champions league winners. Their last triumph in Africa’s biggest club competition came in 2022 and Mokwena will be tasked with getting them back to winning ways.

Wydad finished in sixth position On the Botola Pro League last season as their nemesis Raja Casablanca who are coached by former Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer won the league title with an unbeaten record.

Mokwena follows in the footsteps of former mentor Pitso Mosimane who headed to North Africa after leaving Sundowns in 2020 and went to achieve more success with Al-Ahly. The former Buccaneers coach will also have the honour of leading Wydad at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

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It was reported that Wydad had to fight off stiff competition for Mokwena’s signature who was not short of suitors as clubs from Algeria were also circling for services. The former youth coach was an assistant to Mosimane when Sundowns won its only champions league title in 2016.