Analysis: How long does Rulani Mokwena stay at one club?

Rulani Mokwena: MC Alger media

Analysis: How long does Rulani Mokwena stay at one club?

The decision of likeable coach Rulani Mokwena to part ways with MC Alger on Saturday came as a shock to the Algerian football fraternity and beyond, especially in his home country, South Africa.

However, those who have followed closely the career path of the highly-rated South African tactician should not be very surprised. His exits from clubs seem to follow a very familiar pattern.

A bad result. Then an ill-timed ‘sack me’ kind of utterance that seems to challenge either management or fault his players.

🚨| URGENT : L’ex-entraineur du MC Alger, Rhulani Mokwena, vient de se faire arrêter à l’aéroport de Houari Boumediene.

Le sud africain est soupçonné de trafique de monnaie étrangère.

Il est actuellement à Dar el-Beida pic.twitter.com/iSBvgJIqkw

— MCA Insider ⭐️ (@MCA_Insider) March 15, 2026

The build-up to the resignation of Mokwena from MC Alger followed a similar script: A dramatic exit from the 2025-2026 CAF Champions League group-stage was soiled by spying allegations at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sequence of events before Mokwena exit from MC Alger

A four-game winless run followed, then the celebrated Premier Soccer League (PSL) mentor’s characteristic explosion.

“Teams that want their coach to stay, win such types of games,” the coach said in a post-match press conference. His remarks suggested that he was pointing fingers at his players and management.

The utterances of the African Football League winner seemed well-timed soon after yet another cup exit. This time, following a 3-2 loss in the Algerian Cup contest to CR Belouizdad last week.

Lecture on empires in build up to Sundowns exit

Those familiar with his Mamelodi Sundowns tenure should remember Mokwena’s lecture on the history of empires.

Months leading to his dismissal by Masandawana, the former Chippa United manager said: “Empires don’t collapse; they dilapidate bit-by-bit.”

It appears the issue with the PSL title-winner is not about his coaching abilities or his potential. He is by far one of the finest in Africa. It could be something else hinging on how he reacts especially to internal pressure when the going gets tough.

Any lessons to learn from Pitso Mosimane?

His mentor Pitso Mosimane, for all his outspoken nature, never publicly challenged Al Ahly management with any remark that suggested so. Yes, he fought the media and referees when he felt a sense of injustice on his team.

Not management. He knew where he was. The battles to fight, when to fight and not to.

The 39-year-old has only survived for a full season at one club once—unsurprisingly, at his familiar home of Sundowns. As a head coach, he lasted for one year and nine months with the Betway Premiership champions probably because he is one of their own.

Speaking to African Five-a-side podcast to reflect on that his stint with Orlando Pirates around 2019, Mokwena admitted the experience was intensely painful.

“I don’t talk a lot about this, but it is probably the most painful moment in my career—stepping down from Pirates…even though the chairman, Dr Khoza, was insisting I should stay, but how things had happened… and may things happened at that time – hurt me a lot,” he said.

Beyond Sundowns, the former Buccaneers interim coach has barely finished a season at one club.

Mokwena could only survive for nine months at Wydad AC in Morocco before he picked the job in Algeria. Now, he has joined Al Ittihad FC in Libya.

Calculations of Pan-Africa Football show that the former Betway Premiership champion spends an average of eight months only at one club.

Nonetheless, the South African left MC Alger sitting proudly on top of the Algerian league and having also delivered the Algerian Super Cup.

If there are lessons for the youthful tactician are that at top clubs in North Africa and beyond, no matter how good you are, you don’t act in a manner that seems to challenge management. Directly or otherwise.

The other lesson is that of endurance in the face of adversity. Pressure, especially internal pressure, is the name of the coaching game the bigger the clubs you manage.