MC Alger head coach Rulani Mokwena has been slapped with sanctions by the Algerian Ligue1 for misconduct during and after the club’s league game against MC Oran last Friday.
It was a match in which MC Alger lost 2-1 away, compounding Mokwena’s woes.
The defeat came a few days after El Mouloudia were sent packing out of the CAF Champions League following a 2-0 defeat by his former club Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
SANCTIONS AGAINST RULANI MOKWENA COME AT A SENSITIVE PERIOD
The disciplinary action on the former Sundowns head coach comes as his job appears to be on the line.
For the first time since Mokwena took charge of the Algerian giants in July 2025, he has guided them to two straight defeats. That exerts pressure on the ex-Orlando Pirates coach, who is at a club known for being impatient with its coaches.
Despite losing to Oran, MC Alger remain at the top of the Algerian Ligue 1 table, with a one-point lead over second-placed CS Constantine. What could make Mokwena’s side comfortable at the top is that they have four games in hand.
Following elimination from the Champions League, MC Alger are now fully focusing on domestic matters. But just as they settled to channel their attention on domestic duties, a defeat came from fifth-placed MC Oran.
Not only did Mokwena face the pressure of dropping maximum points, but the league has come down hard on him, imposing fines on the coach for misconduct.
WHY WAS MOKWENA FINED BY THE ALGERIAN LIGUE 1?
“Rulani Mokwena [Head Coach, No. 25N01E0076] – Caution for protest. Sanction: 100,000 DZD [R12,200],” Ligue 1 announced on their website.
“Rulani Mokwena – Refusal to attend the post-match press conference. Sanction: Final warning before harsher penalty + 100,000 DZD [R12,200].”
Two of Mokwena’s players, Abdellaoui Ayoub and Alexis Guendouz, were also fined the same amount as their coach for protesting.
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