Motsepe – Why Downs Extended Rulani’s Contract

Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Thlopie Motsepe has explained why the club decided to hand head coach Rulani Mokwena a new four-year contract.

On Tuesday, Masandawana announced Mokwena’s new four-year deal after the coach had finally put pen to paper, as earlier reported by iDiski Times.

Mokwena became the sole head coach in October 2022 after a technical team shake-up and is still unbeaten in the DStv Premiership since taking over.

He led Sundowns to their sixth successive DStv Premiership title with seven games to spare, but got knocked out in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final and the CAF Champions League semi-final (despite not losing a single game), but Motsepe insisted the young and ambitious coach is the right fit for the club.

“Our head coach Rulani Mokwena has agreed to a four-year extension with the football club and what this means is we will have four more years of success, four more years of hard work and dedication, of joy, trophies and wonderful memories with the yellow nation,” Motsepe told the club’s media team.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, but on top of that he is talented, he does have the ability to be a great coach, but he doesn’t take that for granted.

“That’s why I believe he is such a great fit for the club, because our motto says ‘the sky is the limit’. And we want to provide that opportunity to all people who come into this football club – that you come here and work hard enough, there shouldn’t be a limit you can achieve.

“We have a leader on the pitch, who matches our philosophy. He is daring, he is bold, but more than anything he wants to inspire though his craft, through the football and that’s what we want to do as well.”

Mokwena himself has thanked the club, and especially the supporters, for putting their faith in him, while insisting he wants to achieve more and bring more silverware to Chloorkop.

“You know you are loved, you know you are appreciated,” he stated.

“I look in the eyes of my players every single day and I know there is still more to be done.

“Because of that feeling I felt the need to put myself at service of this incredible institution once more and try to achieve more and win more trophies.

– Advertisement –

“The love and the warmth that I receive also from the supporters… As a servant of this football club I’ve grown to love the club and I’ve gown to become not just somebody who has a lot of years, a lot of hours, blood, sweat, tears… I now have to prove my loyalty and love for this football club and the big responsibility of leading the club in this moment, where I feel the privilege.

“I also have to thank the supporters for loving me, to making me feel appreciated and welcome. When we lose I suffer just as much and because I live and breath their emotions, when we win I’m just as happy. This is what makes this club a very special and important football club.”