‘The club insists on a couple of people, which is excellent,’ Mokwena told Metro FM.
New MC Alger head coach Rulani Mokwena be joined by a mixture of his own choice of staff and some that the club want him to use, as he takes up his latest role on the African continent.
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Mokwena left Wydad Casablanca towards the end of last season, and while he was heavily linked with a move back to Orlando Pirates, the 38 year-old has chosen to remain in North Africa.
Rulani – ‘The club insists’
“The club insists on a couple of people, which is excellent. That still breeds familiarity … there is still a little bit of … technical staff that knows how to win and do well in the Champions League with this group,” Mokena told Andile Ncube on Metro FM.
Mokwena will be joined at MC Alger by his former colleague at Mamelodi Sundowns, goalkeeper coach Wendell Robinson.
“I’ve got coach Wendell [Robinson] because he also speaks a goalkeeping language and if we retain a goalkeeping coach maybe the relationship there can be established a little bit quicker.”
Former Togo and AS Vita assistant coach Enzo Donis will also join up with Mokwena in Algeria.
“Then, of course I have an assistant coach that’s worked with AS Vita, who is from Belgium and he’s coming on. He’s agreed to leave his job with the Togo national team, and so he’s excited by the project.
“He also allows me to have someone of a hybrid assistant because he’s got a bit of work and expertise in setpieces.”
Mahlangu on board
Mokwena also confirmed he will be joined by conditioning coach Sbu Mahlangu, who worked with him at Sundowns and Wydad.
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MC Alger are the reigning Algerian champions, who won the Champions League way back in 1976 but since then have not got past the quarterfinals. The club will no doubt hope that Mokwena’s experience of Champions League football can help them break that particular hoodoo.