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Will Rulani’s Sundowns exit affect Bafana Bafana? Danny Jordaan has his say

SAFA president Danny Jordaan has had his say on whether Bafana Bafana will be impacted by Rulani Mokwena’s exit from Mamelodi Sundowns who’ve been a primary source of players for the national team.

Mokwena abruptly departed the Brazilians upon the team’s return for the pre-season and has since taken the helm at Wydad Casablanca in Morocco.

He left the club along with some of the technical team members, including Michael Loftman [set-pieace coach], Sibusiso Makitla [performance analyst], Sibusiso Mahlangu [fitness trainer] and Sinethemba Badela [Reserve team coach].

The Tshwane giants’ success under the 37-year-old tactician significantly rubbed on Bafana Bafana, who have enjoyed an impressive run recently. They secured an AFCON bronze medal, defeating opponents with predominantly European-based players along the way.

The core of Hugo Broos’ team consists of several Sundowns players who already have good chemistry from playing together at the club level.

Will Rulani's Sundowns exit affect Bafana Bafana? Danny Jordaan has his say
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan

Jordaan stated “maybe it’s possible” that Mokwena’s exit could be somewhat disruptive, however, he believes the strong camaraderie among the players will maintain the stability of the team.

JORDAAN SHARES HIS OPINION ON WHETHER RULANI’S DEPARTURE WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON BAFANA

“The players are still there; the coach may have left,” said Jordaan.

“I think these players have built a strong unit, camaraderie and friendship in the national team and there’s strong bond there. I just hope that it continues.

“Whether the removal of Rulani [Mokwena] will create disruption, maybe it’s possible but I think generally we still have all the players in the team and they will continue.”

South Africa is aiming to qualify for both the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They currently hold the second position in their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from four matches.

Meanwhile, the AFCON qualifiers will kick off in September and conclude in November this year. The tournament itself is scheduled for 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco.

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