Mamelodi Sundowns' rejected stone Rhulani Mokwena claims 'I’d rather have 20 different scorers' after leading MC Alger to their seventh successive win Algerian Ligue 1

Coach Rhulani Mokwena made his name at Mamelodi Sundowns when Pitso Mosimane left in 2022, albeit unceremoniously, to Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly.

Initially, he served as a co-coach alongside Manqoba Mngqithi, before the management opted to let Mokwena run the show while the other one deputised him.

In the 2021/22 season, Mokwena helped the Brazilians to secure the Premier Soccer League crown but didn't have a desired impact in the CAF Champions League, where they fell in the semi-final.  

A year later, Masandawana won the league once again, the inaugural African Football League (AFL), but once again, failed in their bid to conquer the continent in the elite continental club competition as they lost to Esperance in the semi-final.

Shockingly, Mokwena and Masandawana parted ways at the end of the 2022/23 season, with unconfirmed reports indicating he fell out with the club's Sporting Director, Flemming Berg, who wanted to have full control over players' arrivals and exits. 

There were speculations that the signing of former Orlando Pirates attacker Thembinkosi Lorch contributed to the strained relationship between the duo.

After his Sundowns' exit, Mokwena was contracted with the Botola Pro League outfit Wydad Athletic Club, commonly referred to as Wydad Casablanca. 

The Moroccan outfit had missed out on top positions in the 2022/23 editions as well as the CAF inter-club competitions, and the South African was given the mandate to help them get back to the top. 

Despite playing a massive role in helping the team finish in the top four domestically to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup, he parted ways with the current Lorch's team owing to the unfriendly environment.

Algerian outfit MC Alger opted to give Mokwena a chance since he had the needed experience in North African football as well as CAF inter-club competitions. 

In his first season with MC Alger, Mokwena has hit the ground running; he helped them get into the group stage, where they were pooled with Sundowns, St Eloi Lupopo, and Zesco United.

Mokwena has won the last seven Algerian Ligue 1 games in a row, out of the eight he has been in charge of at the Algerian outfit. The latest win was against El Bayadh, where they claimed three points after emerging 1-0 victors on Sunday. 

The 38-year-old has conceded it wasn't an easy win for the team, before insisting they still have more to improve on.

“This was a difficult game but we knew it was a difficult game," he told the media.

“The team has already drawn difficult games here at home against CR Belouizdad, and the pitch is not always easy to play, and they’ve got a very strong counter-attack, so we had to be a lot more responsible on the ball and good rest defence and tactically we were very good.

“So, I want to congratulate the players because it’s an important three points," Mokwena continued.

"I say it to the players every time, the job of the coach is how he constructs the attack to find the possibilities, to find the progression, and then the last 30 yards is the players.

“But also, as a coach, I’d rather have 20 different scorers than have one player that scores 20 goals. We are in a good way even though we know we have a lot of work to do," he concluded. 

In Mokwena's absence, Mngqithi served Masandawana briefly, but his struggles, especially in the CAF inter-club competitions, led to the changes that led to the appointment of Miguel Cardoso as the new tactician.

Last season, the Portuguese led Sundowns to their eighth PSL title in a row and the CAF Champions League final, where they lost to Egyptian side Pyramids. 

However, this season, they have not been convincing, especially domestically.

Sundowns will play against Mokwena for the first time in the CAF outing and this will be an opportunity for the coach to show the club what they are missing.