Orlando Pirates legend Moeneeb Josephs has voiced his opposition to the idea of Rulani Mokwena returning to the club as head coach.
Mokwena’s time at Pirates was short-lived, having served as interim head coach from August to December 2020. After Josef Zinnbauer’s permanent appointment, Mokwena was relegated back to the assistant coach role. However, he didn’t seem comfortable working under Zinnbauer and Fadlu Davids, leading to his eventual move to Chippa United.
From Chippa, Mokwena moved to Mamelodi Sundowns, where he achieved significant success before joining Wydad. During his brief spell as interim head coach at Pirates, Mokwena managed 14 competitive matches, winning four, losing five, and drawing five.
Josephs, reflecting on Mokwena’s potential return, compared it to “wearing old shoes again.” According to the former Pirates goalkeeper, bringing Mokwena back wouldn’t be the right move for the club, especially considering the past issues.
“If we’re talking about bringing Rulani Mokwena back to Pirates, as good as he is, why would we wear old shoes again?” Josephs said during a conversation on Soccer Beat. “When Mokwena was here, there were a lot of issues, tantrums, and the fans were not happy. The relationship between him and Micho was strained, and the way he left left a bad taste for me.”
With Mokwena set to be a free agent from June, and current coach Jose Riveiro also potentially leaving, the future of the Pirates head coach position remains uncertain. But Josephs isn’t sold on the idea of Mokwena returning.
