Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed why he previously rejected the opportunity to work with Bafana Bafana but insisted “when the time is right” he might join the national team.
Mokwena was appointed as Downs sole head coach in October 2022 after spending years as assistant coach to Pitso Mosimane and being a co-coach with Manqoba Mngqithi.
The former Chippa United mentor is yet to lose an official game as the head coach of the club, and overall Masandawana have gone 17 games without a defeat in all competitions.
The Sundowns technocrat has revealed that he was once offered an opportunity to be assistant coach of Stuart Baxter at Bafana but he was at Orlando Pirates at the time.
“Fortunately I speak in a space where I was given that opportunity a couple of years ago by coach Stuart Baxter and I was still at Pirates, in my previous job,” Mokwena told Robert Marawa on Radio 947.
“It didn’t make sense then. Maybe it’s something that if you leave it to God’s hands, when the timing is right God shall make it possible.
“Because I think everybody wants to be in a position where they serve their country and if my serving the nation comes in a situation where I have to be as an assistant then if God deems that fit then I shall avail myself for sure.
“But at this moment in time my focus is on Mamelodi Sundowns and trying to do the best I can for this football club and that’s where my focus and energies lie.”
Mokwena’s next assignment is a tough CAF Champions League encounter, when Sundowns will host Al Ahly at Loftus Versveld Stadium.
