Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has reflected on his turbulent time at Orlando Pirates, and how it has shaped him as a coach.
Despite his record of four wins from 14 matches at the Buccaneers, Mokwena is now enjoying an impressive run of form at Sundowns, having won six consecutive matches and only conceding one goal.
Speaking to the media after his side’s win over Chippa United, Mokwena said: “Failure is important in life very important, I was a coach many will say whatever they say, but I was a coach head coach of a big club for 11 matches and that team scored 16 goals in 11 matches and after that the team conceded more than they scored. That gave me some time to travel to Europe I took those eleven games, and I tore them apart. I had coaches around me, experts, analysts at a very high level in Europe and we analysed my training sessions, my methodology, and that’s why I have this paranoia with rest defence and people say, oh, you know he uses this terminology, but I have the paranoia because it was a life lesson.”
Mokwena believes his experience at Pirates was a valuable lesson, which has allowed him to become a better football tactician. He said: “I took out the sessions and I took out the documents and I sat down, and I analysed, and I looked and I said but where do I have to improve? And I could not get into that space if I did not fail and so the takeout for me is understanding that in life it’s not always going to be tequilas on the beach. Life is going to throw curveballs at you and so, in the moments where you, you are thrown with curveballs and you have to duck and dive and sometimes you stumble and you fall, but it’s important that you fall forward, and you learn, and this is this is how I will respond to that question.”
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena after their 2-1 win over Chippa United. pic.twitter.com/othuDP5ckb
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) January 10, 2023
