Rulani Mokwena has opened up about the sacrifices he made while at Wydad Athletic Club, including paying some of the players out of his own pocket and purchasing training equipment himself.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates coach recently parted ways with Wydad Casablanca after a challenging season in charge.
The 38-year-old Mokwena was brought in at the start of the season with the task of revitalising the club’s fortunes. Wydad had finished sixth in the previous season, missing out on a spot in the CAF competitions.
Under Mokwena’s guidance, the team improved, finishing third and securing a return to continental football.
Notably, Mokwena had to build an entirely new squad and has revealed that he went unpaid for eight months during his time at the Casablanca club.
“I came to Wydad, and they had no players. It was a big test for me…” Mokwena told MSW. “In that moment, I could test myself and my qualities as a coach, putting together a squad from absolutely bare bones to what we eventually had.
“And I could test, not just my training, but my leadership and my recruitment skills and again I had the right people, at the right time. All I pray for every single night is for God to place me in a space where I can be surrounded by the right people and be in the right environment at the right time.”
WHAT RULANI MOKWENA SAID ABOUT PAYING PLAYERS AT WYDAD
In response to claims regarding his request to step back due to psychological pressures, he firmly denied the truth of those statements. He also noted that the Wydad statement reflecting those claims was removed just 10 minutes after its initial posting.
“If you go to the website and their social media pages, that statement was actually removed 10 minutes after it was posted. Even the situation of taking a break was not from me. I had no issues with pressure and psychological breakdowns and all these things.
“As a coach I was prepared to step down because there was a lot of talk. I remember one day I said to the president, ‘I cannot take it when I invest so much. I work so hard to bring so many players’. Almost all of them for free, and I have to sometimes, from my own pocket, pay some of the players, pay some of the staff, go and buy training equipment from my own pocket, and invest in the club.
“And then I have a vice president of the club asking me ‘do you love this club’. I would never subject myself to some of the things that happened, and still, be subjected to some of the treatment. That’s when I said to the president, maybe there’s a misalignment somewhere, and it would be better for me to step down.”
He added that he was accused of just wanting “to go and play Club World Cup and [see] Pep Guardiola and then he’ll be out.”
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