Rulani Mokwena has given some cryptic answers after MC Alger suffered their third defeat in the last four matches, losing to Sead Ramovic’s CR Belouizdad in the Coupe d’Algeria.
MC Alger find themselves with only the Algerian Ligue 1 to fight for this season after they got eliminated from the CAF Champions League and Coupe d’Algeria in recent weeks.
On Tuesday night, MCA lost 3-2 to Belouizdad in an entertaining match after 120 minutes of football. The struggle in this competition for MCA continues, as they haven’t reached the final since 2016 when they won it.
Mokwena, who has been linked with a move to Al Ittihad, couldn’t hide his disappointment after the game.
“I don’t want to do speeches, we have leaders in the group,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“The result on the pitch speaks for itself. Teams that want their coach to stay, they win those type of games.”
In the same breath Mokwena also mentioned that he will now throw his players under the bus but took responsibility for the latest defeat.
“Football is a game of mistakes and never, ever, ever, ever I’m not this person, I’m very grateful that I was raised in this manner, I will never throw the players under the bus,”
“It’s my mistakes, my decisions [that cost us]. These players they’ve given me nothing but their best from the day I’ve arrived here.”
Mokwena also discussed his contractual objectives for the current campaign, saying they want to win the Algerian Ligue 1, where his side still sits on top of the log, and wanted to reach the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, but were knocked out in the group stages.
“What was important for the season was to do better than last season in all competitions. This was the objective,” he added.
“And that’s why even it’s in my contract, which is public knowledge now – I don’t know who revealed that – but there were two very important objectives, defend the championship and semi-finals of the Champions League,” Mokwena told the media.
“And then being the coach that I am we put a lot of pressure on the players to try to win everything, which meant winning the Super Cup and winning the Algerian Cup.
“Under normal circumstances we have made two big steps in the Algerian Cup because last season we lost in the Round of 32, if I am not mistaken, and now we go into the Last 16 and quarter-finals.
“So under normal circumstances it’s two steps jumped and this is fact but in big clubs you don’t work like that, in big clubs you win or nothing. You cannot be praised for getting closer, that is the reality.”
Last season, MCA won the Algerian league, lost in the quarter-finals of CAFCL to Orlando Pirates, lost in the RO32 in the Coupe d’Algerie and won Algerian Super Cup.
This season, they are leading the Algerian Ligue 1, but were eliminated from the CAFCL in the group stages, lost in the quarter-finals in the Coupe d’Algerie, however also won Super Cup.
