Ex-Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena starts his reign at Libyan outfit Al Ittihad with a loss against Moroccan side

Rhulani Mokwena's Al Ittihad fell 2-1 on Friday against Botola Pro League outfit Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi in a friendly fixture played in Morocco.

This was an unofficial fixture for the club in the international break, with the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch getting a run. But it ended in a loss for the celebrated South African coach.

"As part of ongoing preparations, our team played a friendly match against Moroccan club Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi on their home ground," the Libyan outfit posted.

"The match featured a competitive pace and provided an important opportunity to assess the players’ readiness before ending with a 2–1 result in favour of the home team," they added.

Al Ittihad further explained why they are camping in Morocco for ten days during the ongoing FIFA international break.

"This friendly is part of the preparation programme, through which the coaching staff aims to improve performance levels and reach peak readiness for the upcoming phase," Al-Ittihad concluded.

Mokwena understands it will not be easy to get the management's backing if he fails to deliver with the players he has when competitive football resumes.

This might attract sacking since North African clubs are known for their impatience when the coach struggles.