Rhulani Mokwena’s journey to the top is not only inspirational, but also a reflection of his work ethic and drive. The Mamelodi Sundowns coach could have flexed his surname and many doors would have opened for him.
You see, Mokwena is a descendent of the most iconic surname in South African football.
Sons of Sono
As the son of Julius “KK” Sono, Mokwena is also the grandson of Eric “Scara” Sono which makes him the nephew of Jomo Sono. The Sono’s are footballing royalty. But, instead of presenting himself as some sort of prince, Mokwena wore the pauper hat and worked to build his name rather than be viewed through the lens of his glorious family.
It is despite his famous lineage rather than because of it that Rhulani Mokwena has risen through the South African footballing ranks and gained the highest accolades. When Orlando Pirates came calling for Mokwena to coach their juniors, the Orlando-born coach instead chose to trek to Phokeng and join the now-defunct Platinum Stars (called Silver Stars at the time). At Silver Stars, he got to work with some great coaching minds, from Steve Komphela to Allan Freese and Cavin Johnson. He started at the Under-15s, progressed to the Under-17s then Under-19s and eventually the first team.
He did so well that at 24, he sat in the technical area for an official PSL match when Komphela was suspended. That was in 2009. Fourteen years later, he is the head coach of Sundowns who are on the brink of winning their sixth league title in a row - and Komphela is his assistant. It’s been a remarkable journey which has taken him from Phokeng to working as an analyst and scout, heading the Bloemfontein Celtic/Sporting Lisbon academy, working his way up at Sundowns, and becoming an African Champion in 2016.
Coaching ‘Downs on the up
Mokwena returned “home” to Orlando Pirates, the team that is the symbol of his birthplace, but, while that spell reinvigorated the club, it didn’t bring the desired return. Now that he is back at Sundowns, and he is the main man in charge instead of being a co-coach with Manqoba Mngqithi as was the case at the start of the season, he is on the brink of becoming the youngest coach ever to win the DStv Premiership at 36.
“It gives me a huge sense of gratification that I am here because of my work and not who I know or am related to,” Mokwena once reflected on his career path. “It’s an important statement because, for many years, South African football has been known to be full of nepotism. (You get ahead) based on your connections and who you know.”
“I think the statement that my journey makes is a statement that would encourage many others. Even though I come from football royalty, I am pretty much an unknown because I didn’t play professional football.”
He did it his way – and continues to do so
Mokwena’s success is massive for a number of reasons. It’s not just that he did it his way, letting his work do the talking rather than getting ahead because of his surname. What’s remarkable is a young coach being given a chance, and also being backed to succeed. South Africa doesn’t do that often. A number of coaches in the top flight are either old, have outdated methods, or just not good enough to be at this level.
There are many young coaches who have fresh and innovative ideas on how to take SA football forward, and many of them will never get their moment in the sun because of the outdated outlook from club owners when they are looking for a coach. They are just looking for a name, and if their passport has the emblem of a country with a strong football heritage then they can easily get any coaching job in the country.
Roman Folz, AmaZulu’s 32-year-old coach, is the antithesis of what Mokwena stands for. Yes, he is also young, but he only got the job because of his French heritage and is unlikely to do much with AmaZulu just as he didn’t do anything with Marumo Gallants. It’s not just about giving young coaches a chance, it’s also about giving deserving people a chance due to the work they have put into the game and improving themselves.
It’s time to shake up the game
Changing the current status quo doesn’t mean just getting any young coach, but it’s also about seeing what this coach brings and how that fits into the club’s outlook. And those young coaches also need to have served their time. Mokwena toiled in the juniors and worked in various places to show his worth and what he brings. The progress and success of players like Percy Tau and Bongani Zungu is down to Mokwena’s eye for details and thoroughness.
His appointment as head coach of Sundowns is revolutionary. His success at the club will be massive not only for him but other young technocrats who are doing great work in the country’s amateur ranks and juniors, but they aren’t recognised at the top. If a big club like Sundowns can back him, other clubs could be emboldened to shake things up in their coaching appointments and look beyond just the name.
Mokwena knows this, and it is part of the fuel that drives him to succeed. He has an interesting word to describe the game of musical chairs that Premier Soccer League clubs play when it comes to the appointment of coaches. He doesn’t use the word recycling, instead he uses regurgitating - which is more apt. Some coaches who have been moving around at various clubs have been episodes of unmitigated disasters – but they keep being appointed. And then we are surprised when the standard of football doesn’t improve.
Many pundits put Sundowns’ success down to money. While money has played a massive role in the club’s dominance, it’s not the only reason why they are this successful. A strong part of their success is down to the high work ethic entrenched in the club’s ideals. And no one embodies that than Mokwena, a man who has had to work hard to make his name through his own terms - then show why he deserves to be rubbing shoulders with SA football coaching royalty and why Mosimane tipped him to have a career even more remarkable than what Jingles has achieved.