The recent departure of Rulani Mokwena from Mamelodi Sundowns to take up a new coaching role at Wydad Casablanca in Morocco has sparked discussions about its potential impact on South Africa's national team, Bafana Bafana.
While some fans and pundits have expressed concerns, former Sundowns midfielder Brent Carelse views the move as a positive development for South African football.
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Carelse, who spoke to Soccer Laduma exclusively, dismissed fears that Mokwena's exit from the South African league would weaken Bafana.
"No, I personally don't think it will affect the national team. Bafana Bafana won't be weaker," Carelse told the Siya crew.
He highlighted that during Mokwena's tenure as head coach at Sundowns, some players who were not regular starters at their club still performed well internationally.
"If you look at what was happening at Sundowns he was the head coach and he was selecting the team and some players like Thapelo Morena were not playing regularly at Sundowns but were doing well for the national team. So, I don't think his departure from Sundowns will affect the national team that much," the former midfielder told Soccer Laduma.
Moreover, Carelse believes that Mokwena's move could actually bolster the national team if it leads to South African players moving to play in Morocco.
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"But what I think is, if he can sign two or three South African players whether from Sundowns or other teams, it will help the national team in a positive way. You know, the demand in North Africa is a bit higher compared to our league. You see the stadiums are always full and the supporters demand a bit more from the players and that would be good for our players and eventually for Bafana Bafana."
Carelse concluded by affirming the benefits of Mokwena's career move, both for the coach himself and for South African football as a whole.
"That's how I think his move to Morocco would positively help the national team. So, I think it's a good move for him as well as our football and national team," Carelse concluded.
This perspective suggests that Mokwena's international coaching role could indeed serve as a catalyst for strengthening Bafana Bafana by exposing more South African players to higher levels of competition and broadening their professional horizons.
