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Mosimane: Mokwena achieved his dream of coaching Pirates

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Pitso Mosimane, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, with Rhulani Mokwena

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes there is nothing wrong with Rhulani Mokwena moving back to his assistant role after Orlando Pirates named Josef Zinnbauer as their new head coach.

Mokwena stepped in as interim head coach after Milutin Sredojevic’s sudden departure a few weeks into the season.

The young coach struggled to pick up positive results, though, despite showing some signs of improvement and with a record of four wins, five draws and five losses in 14 games, the Soweto giants decided to act by appointing German coach Zinnbauer despite previously stating Mokwena would have until the end of the season.

Speaking at Chloorkop on Thursday Mokwena’s former mentor, Mosimane, who has been a vocal supporter of all local coaches, revealed his thoughts on the decision.

‘What is too young? Look at these coaches like Thomas Tuchel, there is never too young. There is always a balance, the team accepting you, the players playing for, it’s also the experience you need to have and also, to be honest, a bit of luck to get there,’ said the former Bafana Bafana coach when asked if Mokwena was too young for the role at Pirates.

‘But I’m happy that he got to fulfil his dream, his vision, because he spoke to me and said he wants to coach Orlando Pirates and as long as I’m sitting next to you [Mosimane] here [at Sundowns] I will always be behind you and I need to fly. So, I said, “Fly my boy.”

‘He has achieved his dreams and vision but it is never the end … he is a good coach, he remains a good coach. He is one of the best coaches I have worked with and I have said it before that he is going to be better than me and I still believe he will be better than me.

‘He needs time to do that and there is enough time. I was a coach at SuperSport United for seven years and you know where I went to be an assistant for five years [with Bafana Bafana].

‘There is nothing wrong with him [Mokwena] being an assistant again and those would be my words of encouragement to him.’