Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos points to Rhulani Mokwena's 'big disappointment' as Mamelodi Sundowns coach - 'He never made it to...'

Mamelodi Sundowns have had major technical team reshuffles in the last six months.

It started with the sacking of Rhulani Mokwena in July 2024, replacing him with Manqoba Mngqithi who was then fired five months later before Miguel Cardoso took over.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has commented on Mokwena's time at the Brazilians, saying the youthful coach was undone by not winning one major trophy that keeps on eluding Sundowns.

“It’s true that to coach at Mamelodi Sundowns, you have to be a great coach. Secondly, Sundowns buy the best players in the league every year. They have a core of 35 players, it’s incredible,” Broos said on Canal+ as per iDiski Times.

“These 35 players can make up three teams that would be top in many African leagues. So, the quality of players is there, but it is also difficult to manage 35 players, and he did it indeed for the better part of three years. 

“I never heard of players being unhappy, even though I’m sure that some were unhappy, but problems between him and his players never came out," added the Belgian.  

“On top of all of that, his results were very good, except, of course, and this was the big disappointment, he never made it, to the [Champions League] final.”

It remains to be seen if the Tshwane giants will still dominate the Bafana Bafana squad following the rapid changes to their technical team.

Mokwena left Sundowns after guiding them to the African Football League and two Premier Soccer League titles.

He also had them losing just one PSL match last season and that defeat came on the last day of the campaign.

However, after he left, Sundowns have already lost five matches this season under Manqoba Mngqithi and Miguel Cardoso.

For now, the Brazilians shift focus to domestic duties and they visit Magesi FC for a league match on Wednesday before hosting Sibanye Golden Stars in the Nedbank Cup Round of 32 on Saturday.

They await to learn about their Caf Champions League quarter-final opponents as Cardoso tries to succeed where Mokwena failed.