The reason why Rulani Mokwena could stand the test of time at Wydad Casablanca, who have a bad reputation when it comes to the firing of coaches, could have been revealed.
Mokwena has been under pressure since the beginning of his reign and his suitability as a head coach became a hot topic again at the end of December after a heavy 4-1 loss to Maghreb des Fes.
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The 38-year-old has been subject to multiple reports of him being on the verge of being relieved of his duties, with Wydad not yet challenging for the Botola Pro title and struggling for consistency.
The South African football-loving public has also been wondering whether the former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach will still be in charge at the 2025 FIFA World Cup between June and July, should The Red Castle not meet the high expectations set.
However, Mokwena seems to be enjoying a good relationship with Wydad President Hicham Ait Menna, similar to that which he had with Dr. Patrice Motsepe at Chloorkop and Dr. Irvin Khoza at Orlando Pirates.
"The president is a very special person. I've worked for a lot of leaders and some great leaders. Dr. Patrice Motsepe is an amazing leader, incredible. Just being in his presence is inspiring enough, you don't have to exchange words with him," Mokwena said in an interview with CAF TV.
"I've had the privilege of working with Dr. Irvin Khoza, an incredible man, very successful man too. But we have an incredible president... Mr Hicham is a very special man, someone with incredible life values, success stories too, someone who has also worked his way to the top. He has invested a lot in Moroccan football.
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"He's such a dedicated man, a man when he asks you at 03:00, 'What are you still doing up?' and I always ask him, 'What are you doing up?' Someone who reminds me in the difficult days that I have to give more for him because being president of this club also comes with more pressures and to try to help him succeed with this project and make sure that his fingerprint as part of the leadership of this club goes into the history books," the Soweto-born mentor added.
After the loss to Maghreb des Fes, Wydad got back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Moghreb Tetouan in their first game of the New Year.