Wydad Athletic Club head coach Rulani Mokwena believes that the Botola Pro can be one of the best leagues in the world but there’s also something they can learn from the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Mokwena has embarked on a journey to the Moroccan topflight with the three-time African Champions Wydad, where he’s been tasked to rebuild the club after a trophyless 2023/24 season and finishing outside the CAF inter-club qualification spots.
And while he hasn’t had it easy, there’s been a different energy around his support and his arrival coincided with new President Hicham Ait-Menna while he’s openly admitted that the struggles he’s faced with contrasting styles of play are improving his abilities.
However, one of the distinct differences between the PSL and the Botola Pro is their fixture calendar, with the dates and times decided on a week-by-week basis, which is something he would not have been accustomed to during his time in South African football.
“I think… I really think the two are not so far apart, I think from an organisational perspective, and this is in terms of the league, it’s very difficult to periodize your season if you don’t have the full outline of the fixtures from the start to the beginning,” Mokwena said.
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“And I understand why in Morocco it’s not used, but I think from a periodization and planning perspective it’s so key, knowing which opponent you will play in two weeks’ time, three weeks’ time.
“It allows you for a tactical periodization because you know if you’ve got Raja in two weeks, or six weeks, you know how to prepare your team in the theme and a tactical perspective because… to prepare two or three days before the game is impossible…
“But to prepare if you have pre-season, even using other games, you will know when the team needs to peak, because of course… every single game is important but there are some games that are more important than others.
“And knowing when those games are going to be played, what cycle, what part of the season you’re going to be in – by the time you play those games, it’s of crucial importance and I think that’s probably one of the things that we have in South Africa, that maybe in Morocco is something you can improve.”
Mokwena said what PSL clubs could learn from, in the investment in youth development and infrastructure around the games, which is something that is starting to bare fruits for the North African state, with waves of talent thriving across all age groups, male and female, for their national teams.
“But at the same time, I think South Africa can learn a thing or two about the investment in facilities, investment in football structures, in the youth, in the game as a whole – not just the matches, the usage of VAR is still something not used in South Africa.
“There’s a lot of very good things; both have good spaces and very difficult to be critical of the one and be critical at the other because in life you can’t be good at everything. I have my weaknesses too and it’s about always seeing which areas you can improve and get better – but the level of investment in the Botola is amazing.
“The game here can grow in leaps and bounds because it’s just small tweaks in organisational forms and I think the Botola can become one of the best leagues in the world, not just in Africa, but the world.”