Chippa United head coach Rhulani Mokwena believes he made the right decision to leave as assistant coach at Mamelodi Sundowns and join Orlando Pirates in a similar role in 2017.

Many around the country were shocked when Mokwena decided to leave Chloorkop after a trophy-laden spell, which included the 2016 Caf Champions league triumph.

Mokwena moved to a Pirates side which hadn’t won a trophy in a number of years and continued to struggle for silverware despite massive improvements shown under coach Milutin Sredojevic.

However, Sredojevic departed the club under a cloud and in shocking circumstances as they failed to see out the project with the club.

Mokwena then had an indifferent time as caretaker coach before Josef Zinnbauer’s arrival and has since become the head coach at Chippa, although he is still contracted at Pirates.

‘Some people believe it was a mistake to leave Sundowns for Orlando Pirates, but I’m always of the opinion that it was the right decision and I am still of the opinion that it was the right decision,’ Mokwena said in an interview with Lesedi FM.

‘I think Orlando Pirates is a big institution with probably one of the wisest chairmen around, apart from all the other things that people talk about and know within the organization, but it’s a fantastic organisation to work for. You learn a lot and sometimes you learn the good and the bad and you are able to grow.

‘And even with the difficulties and when your job is made difficult, you are able to know that this is preparation and all that makes you grow. It makes you a better person,’ he added.

‘If you look at the experience that I have been fortunate to gather at Sundowns and even at Pirates, you can see that the quality of experience is worth more than being an assistant anywhere else or being a head coach in one of the smaller teams in the country because you can’t buy that experience – I mean the experience of working with top players,’ concluded the 35-year-old.