Rulani’s huge task at Wydad, where a player is a ‘card-carrying member of the ultras’

When you're the coach of a club that has a player who is a card-carrying member of their ultras, you get a sense of the passion and of the scale of the expectation you will encounter. 

South African coaches who have taken their clubs to play Wydad Athletic — notably Pitso Mosimane in his epic clashes when he was still coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, then at Al Ahly; then his Brazilians protégé and one of his successors, Rulani Mokwena — know all about the wall of noise from the stands. 

Now Mokwena — who noted that centreback signing Ayman Dairani is a member of the ultras, the most hard-core supporters — will have that wall at his back as new coach of Wydad. It might be hard to know which can be more intimidating. Right now he's relishing the prospect. 

After his abrupt departure from Sundowns in early July and marquee job appointment days later, Mokwena has been making waves in his short time in North Africa. The Moroccan press has noted a style of play closer to Barcelona than Bayern Munich. Wydad president Hicham Ait Menna is a Barca fan and it is apparently part of the reasoning behind the hiring of Mokwena, coach of Africa's equivalent in style of play to the Spanish giants at Downs.

Mokwena gave a run to a 16-year-old — Yassine Bennani — in a preseason friendly. His quick, easy bond with the players has been posted about by the club's social media managers. 

It also seems to be Mokwena's ability to show an insatiable hunger to sign almost every available player of genuine quality he can lay his hands on within the market sphere of his club, then unite them into a deadly combination, that Wydad was attracted to. 

Bafana Bafana stars Percy Tau (Al Ahly) and Cassius Mailula and Bongani Zungu, who Mokwena openly expressed his admiration for despite his release from Sundowns, have been reported targets. There have also been reports that Mokwena and Ait Menna have gone to Brazil to scout talent, including Corinthians’ 20-year-old attacker Pedrinho. Top-class South Americans were a big part of Mokwena's success at Sundowns. 

In Pretoria, Mokwena was limited by geography. North Africa is close to Europe, so its top clubs have the historical advantage of not only being older, but also have had closer and longer links to football's 'mecca continent'. The league he will compete in will be more competitive than South Africa's Premiership, where Sundowns are seven-time successive champions and the last two of those by a staggering 16 and 23 points, with a new points record (73) in 2023-24. This has been a disadvantage for the Brazilians stepping up to continental level. 

It sounds like a dream move. There will always be challenges. Such a huge club has gigantic expectations. Mokwena, speaking to a digital press conference of the South African Football Journalists' Association, was asked if he had concerns about the club's revolving door of coaches who preceded him through a troubled recent period — from December 2022, Wydad have had nine coaches in charge in 20 months. 

“Of course you've got to consider those aspects and you also, when you sit down [with the club], have this discussion. I've got to give a lot of compliments to the president, because not only has he put a lot of action in relation to some of the things we spoke about, the greatest demonstration was the signing of a three-year contract for a coach for the first time in the history of this club. 

“Now it's like every other club — your job is only secure with results. We want to do it a different way. The club has a different personality and to try to change that is going to take time. But we are committed to it. This is what the board has asked of me, to play in a different way. 

“Trying to change the culture and mentality of the players is probably my greatest challenge. The club has had so much success in the past playing a certain way.” 

Such a transformation will not be easy at a club that has earned a reputation for achieving results, and trophies, strangling opposition like a boa constrictor. 

Apart from the short life expectancy of coaches at Wydad, Mokwena has arrived amid a challenging period. WAC have not won Morocco’s Botola Pro league since 2021-22, ending sixth last season. After being Caf Champions League winners in 2021-22 and runners-up in 2022-23, they exited in the group stage in 2023-24. Bitter rivals Raja Casablanca swept the league without losing last season. 

In that context, it's revealing what Mokwena says his mandate from Ait Menna is. 

“To be honest the only thing we really discussed was the style of play. In my first interaction with the new president — and he's a big Barcelona fan and watches all their games religiously — [my impression] was he comes across as an incredibly wise man, incredibly passionate about football but also a purist. I have already loved my football discussions with him. 

“That was probably the part of the conversation that turned it around for me; when he said, 'If you can only give us 20% [in the creativity element] of the way Sundowns played we'll be happy.' I said, 'Don't worry, we'll make it 25%.'

One of the things we discussed upon my arrival was the transfer ban, of course. But look, we've got an incredible board and incredible president so he tells me it's something we should not be too worried about. I think mine is just to trust and so far none of the things they've told me have proven to be otherwise.

—  Rulani Mokwena

“It's not only the first team, I've spent a lot of time watching the youth sides. For the first time in the history of the club we've given a 16-year-old a debut, though in a friendly. I'm proud to come to a club and commit to its future.” 

As coach of Sundowns, Mokwena was stunned to take part in an 'Icelandic clap' with the Wydad fans at their packed Stade Mohamed V home ground during a Caf Champions League game in November 2023. He was asked if the love affair started then. 

“Was it love at first sight? I don't know. But as I said I'm falling more and more in love with the club now. 

“At Sundowns, I didn't expect that reaction. It made me think of them [Wydad supporters] as football-loving people in the sense they showed appreciation for the type of football we were playing. 

“It's humbled me, the reception I've received now. We've got a great energy going on and there's a deep sense of appreciation from both sides. I will do the best for these supporters — I feel their pain. 

“Funnily enough I've got some players who are registered members of the ultras, like Dairani. You see by the way he performs on the pitch how much this club means to him. The way [the supporters and players] feel the connection with this club is incredible. It's a privilege that comes with this responsibility not to let these people down.” 

Mokwena says it is probably a blessing in disguise he does not have to take Wydad to the Champions League in a rebuilding phase where he can concentrate on domestic success. 

“We're looking at all the positions, we're trying our level best to strengthen the squad. We've made some good signings, but the team is very far from being complete — we've lost a lot of players,” he said.

“We've brought in a very experienced goalkeeper, [Abdelali] Mhamdi, to compete with [Youssef] El Motie; strengthened the defensive line with left-back Zakaria Nassik, brought in [centreback] Nabil [Marmouk], who I think has incredible potential. We've got Dairani in that space. The club brought in a very good right-back in [Mohamed] Moufid before my arrival.  

“In midfield we've got Hamza Sakhi who's been in France [Ligue 2], who I think will be one of our most important players. Most of our focus in the next few weeks will be trying to strengthen the offensive line.” 

Wydad have been making these signings while Fifa officially has the club listed under a transfer ban. Mokwena did not go into specifics but suggested Ait Menna is attending to the matter. “Look, we've got an incredible board and incredible president and he tells me it's something we should not be too worried about. I think mine is just to trust and so far none of the things they've told me have proven to be otherwise.” 

South Africans will watch it all unfold with great interest as the protégé of Mosimane, who put coaches from this country on the map with his exploits at Al Ahly in Egypt and in the Gulf, follows in his senior's footsteps at an African giant.