Newly appointed Wydad Athletic coach Rulani Mokwena jetted into the country yesterday to beef up and hopefully finalise his technical team and the players he wants to take with him to the Moroccan giants (formerly known as Wydad Casablanca) when he starts his journey in a couple of weeks.
Speaking to Sunday World from Casablanca on Friday, Mokwena said he is talking to two coaches who are working in the PSL, but refused to divulge their names because they were still contracted to their clubs.
“We will see in the next couple of days, we are talking to a few names. Both of them, everyone knows how I want to work with them and how I respect them. They are currently contracted to PSL teams and I cannot speak about their names out of respect and being professional,” said Mokwena.
“They are head coaches in South Africa; I must respect their current occupation and employers. I would like to share their names but I cannot. What if we do not agree on terms and their clubs find out – it can be a mess,” he added.
Insiders very close to Mokwena have revealed that the former Orlando Pirates trainer is keen to have Ernst Middendorp, erstwhile Platinum Stars coach Allan Freese, Chippa United goalkeeper coach Shawn Louw and former Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Michael Loftman in his technical team.
Even though Middendorp recently extended his contract at the beginning of July with relegated Cape Town Spurs, the overtures and the prominence of this project may just be too good to turn down. Loftman was said to be still taking a sabbatical after he left Sundowns. Mokwena has previously mentioned that former Sundowns DDC coach Sinethemba Badela will be joining him in Morocco.
In terms of players, Mokwena mentioned the availability of Gaston Sirino, who is now a free agent after he was released by Sundowns, excites him. “We are looking around in the market for the best available players. Gaston is a free agent, and he excites me and he has good qualities. I think he has a couple of good offers in the PSL and abroad. But we will see how it goes,” he said.
“This Wydad project excites me. It’s about climbing one mountain, then the next mountain up until you conquer Mount Everest. I have nothing to prove. I left Sundowns after 96 games, 6o wins, seven defeats, four league titles and the African Football League continental trophy. I am happy with what I achieved and the memories I take from Sundowns are positive and I have nothing but great words about the chairman and the Motsepe family, the players and everyone at the club.
“Everyone has written Wydad off; that they are on their way down and that they are finished. I like those type of stories, where people write you off and you have all the drive and adrenaline to push yourselves where you know you should be – and not where people think you should be,” he added.
Mokwena will be jetting back to Casablanca next week.
