Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has made positive comments about ex-Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos and former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena never saw eye to eye, and often had public disagreements about their players.
Towards the end of last season, the two had a war of words after a number of injured Sundowns players were called up to the national team for FIFA Series international friendlies.
However, now that Mokwena has left the country and is working in Morocco, Broos has revealed how impressed he was with how the now 38-year-old coach dealt with a Sundowns side that featured so many important players.
Speaking to French broadcaster Canal+, Broos seemed to bury the hatched, saying: “It’s true that to coach at Mamelodi Sundowns, you have to be a great coach. Secondly, Sundowns buy the best players in the league every year. They have a core of 35 players, it’s incredible.
“These 35 players can make up three teams that would be top in many African leagues. So, the quality of players is there, but it is also difficult to manage 35 players, and he did it indeed for the better part of three years.
“I never heard of players being unhappy, even though I’m sure that some were unhappy, but problems between him and his players never came out.
“On top of all of that, his results were very good, except, of course, and this was the big disappointment, he never made it, to the [Champions League] final.”
Mokwena is currently the head coach of Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca. After a difficult start to life in North Africa, Mokwena's team have turned their season around and are currently third in the Botola Pro 1.
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