Why Rulani will be happy if Sundowns or Pirates win MTN8
· Citizen
Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena expects an entertaining MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
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Mokwena – Pirates and Sundowns are ‘very well coached’
Mokwena, however, is firmly sitting on the fence when it comes to deciding who will win out of the team he grew up supporting (Pirates) and the side who gave him his most successful years as a head coach (Sundowns).
“I am excited for the final,” said Mokwena in an interview on Thursday with the South African Football Journalists Association.
“It should be a good game between two very good teams, two very well-coached teams.”
“I have had the opportunity to watch a bit more this season, and in the off-season I spent time trying to catch up,” added Mokwena, who is now coach at Egyptian side Pyramids FC.
“I was able to watch Sundowns’ game against Al Hilal in the final of the African-Asian (Pacific) Cup, I have also been able to watch Pirates games recently. They are two very good teams … at the pinnacle of South African football.
“I look forward to it and I think the public will be exposed to a very high level technically. We see the national team (Bafana) is dominated by both teams, this is where the cream of the crop is.
“It is not by chance there are so many players (in Bafana) from Pirates and Sundowns.”
Mokwena won three Betway Premiership titles with Sundowns between 2021 and 2024. But he grew up in Orlando and his father Julius Sono and uncle Jomo Sono played for Pirates.
He was also assistant coach at Pirates between 2017 and 2020, and was interim head coach in 2019.
‘It is hard to decide who will win’
“I am a big Sundowns fan, I love the club, I am very grateful to the club, to Patrice Motsepe and to Tlhopie (Motsepe). They helped me to be the coach I am and to have the profile I do and the CV,” said Mokwena.
“I have had a lot to do with Sundowns and have a very soft spot for the club and I always wish them the best.
“But I also always wish Pirates the best. It is very hard to decide who will win but whoever does I will be very happy.”
“The only time I don’t want Sundowns or Pirates to win is when I am competing against them on the opposite bench. When I was at Sundowns and I played Pirates I always wanted to win, even though I am a Pirates fan. And when I was at Pirates and I played Sundowns I wanted to beat them, even though I am a Sundowns fan.”