Rulani Mokwena could have remained in the DStv Premiership after his exit from Mamelodi Sundowns - but the coach has revealed why he turned down a 'very good' offer in favour of his Wydad Athletic move.
Richards Bay, backed by their new R100 million sponsorship, wasted no time in making an approach for Mokwena.
The ambitious KwaZulu-Natal based outfit narrowly escaped the claws of relegation via the end-of-season play-offs and were looking to turn their fortunes around - Mokwena was the man earmarked to do just that.
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But as heard in his interview on Metro FM, the 37-year-old said it was his loyalty to Sundowns that made it difficult for him to come up against them as a direct rival.
"One of the reasons why I left South Africa and knowing that Wydad wasn't in the [CAF] Champions League too, I wasn't looking forward to playing against Sundowns, not because of the team but because of the emotional connotations and it would have been very difficult for me to be on the opposite bench and see some of the players," Mokwena explained.
"So, one of the big motivations was for me to try and leave the country because the bond I have with these players would have made it very difficult for me.
"There was a good offer from Richards Bay but I just couldn't stay in South Africa and go up against Sundowns as a coach," he said.
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