Algiers — Rulani Mokwena has been named the new head coach of Algerian giants Mouloudia Club d’Alger (MCA), taking over from Tunisian tactician Khaled Ben Yahia, whose short-term contract expired following the club’s domestic double triumph in the 2024/25 season.
The 38-year-old South African coach returns to the touchline after a single season with Moroccan side Wydad AC, where he narrowly missed out on CAF Champions League qualification, despite improving the club’s league standing to fourth place after a disappointing sixth-place finish the previous campaign.
Mokwena’s availability had sparked interest across the continent and beyond, with clubs such as Egypt’s Zamalek SC and Pyramids FC, Saudi Arabia’s Yelo League, Qatar’s Al Shahaniya, and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates all reportedly tracking his next move.
Ultimately, MCA’s Champions League ambitions and recent resurgence proved decisive. The Algerian club reached the quarter-finals of the competition last season before being eliminated by Orlando Pirates, and Mokwena is believed to have been drawn by the opportunity to continue coaching on the African continent.
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Patrice Carteron, ex-Al Ahli mentor Laurențiu Reghecampf, and Manqoba Mngqithi were also shortlisted for the high-profile post, which has gained prestige following MCA’s back-to-back league titles—ending a decade-long championship drought.
Mokwena now joins a growing list of former Premier Soccer League managers in Algeria, alongside Josef Zinnbauer (JS Kabylie) and Sead Ramovic (CR Belouizdad), who guided their teams to second and third place respectively in the just-concluded campaign.
Discussion about this post