Coach Rulani Mokwena will be looking to pick up from where he left off last year and enter 2026 with a bang when his side, MC Alger, takes on JS Kabylie in a league encounter on Friday.
The South African is still on course in the Algerian League, as MC Alger continue to grind results and maintain their top spot in the log standings.
They stretched and strengthened their position at the summit with an impressive 2-0 win at home over ES Sétif on Monday.
Facing an unpredictable opponent
They face a Kabylie side that has been blowing hot and cold and languishing on number 10 with 18 points after 12 games. They will, however, go into this game with a bit of confidence, having won their last game.
Alger, on the other hand, is currently cruising nicely on top with an eight-point gap and two games in hand. After 12 outings, Mokwena’s side sits with 31 points with 10 wins, one loss, and a single draw.
With the league now halfway through, Mokwena is on the verge of breaking the record of amassing the highest points tally ever achieved by a title-winning team in the league.
The current record is 68, and Mokwena could go as far as 85 points, should he win all 18 remaining games.
That feat is more than possible for the 38-year-old mastermind to manage, as he achieved it in what was ultimately his last season at reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
He won the league by accumulating a record number of 73 points – an improvement on their previous 71 mark.
Mokwena also almost completed a season undefeated at Sundowns but lost to the now-relegated Cape Town City on the last day of the campaign.
So, should his fine form continue at Alger, he could also become the first black coach to win a league title in Algeria.
