There tends to be this belief that anybody can coach Mamelodi Sundowns and win titles, but this is not quite the case and there's reason for this.
I have heard a lot of people saying 'anybody can win the league with that Sundowns squad'. Sure, there are many coaches who would definitely win titles with that Sundowns squad. It's a brilliant squad and many coaches would most certainly love to have the opportunity to work with that much quality in their squad. But, to be honest, I do not think anybody can coach Sundowns and that's why Rulani Mokwena deserves more credit for the work he has done at Sundowns.
I've had the pleasure of doing a Safa D-license coaching course and I got to fully understand that coaching is not only about what you do on the training ground. A lot goes into ensuring you have a happy squad and rotating players is important
Sundowns has a number of big name players and the challenge is getting them to play for you as a coach, and it appears Mokwena has won the support of his players. An example is what happened in the Nedbank Cup, when Khuliso Mudau had sustained an injury and Mokwena made a plea to the right back, via the infamous note that went viral on social media, to stay on the pitch.
Not only did Mudau stay on the pitch through the match, but he was one of the top performers in the Sundowns side, but it was obviously not enough to inspire the Tshwane giants to victory over Orlando Pirates. That's a clear sign of a coach who is in control of the dressing room and has won the trust of the players that he has.
What makes it even harder is that Sundowns have a schedule that's tougher than any other club in the PSL, but Mokwena has managed it so well.
Sundowns finished the season with two trophies in the cabinet, and lost out in the finals of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. They went 29 games unbeaten in the league before losing on the final day of the campaign. They set a record for the most points in a season
It's not a job that can be taken lightly and I certainly feel that not anybody can step in the job and be successful. Mokwena's work cannot be underestimated like that.
