Orlando Pirates: Rhulani Mokwena spotted coaching amateur side

Former interim head coach Rhulani Mokwena has been absent for the Orlando Pirates dugout since Josef Zinnbauer took over but remains mum about his future.

Mokwena was spotted on the sidelines of an ABC Motsepe League match between Black Poison FC and Blue Lions.

Former Orlando Pirates boss spotted

The former Orlando Pirates head coach owns the amateur side Black Poison but is still contracted to the Buccaneers.

When cornered by reporters at the match Mokwena said that he was unable to speak about his future in coaching until matters have been finalised between himself and Orlando Pirates.

Mokwena was initially demoted to the ranks of Orlando Pirates’ assistant coaches when Josef Zinnbauer was appointed. Zinnbauer made Fadlu Davids his right-hand man and Mokwena has since been ‘on leave’.

“At the moment I cannot talk much about my situation at Pirates. I have to respect the club,” Mokwena told the Daily Sun.

“We made an agreement with the club that we will not divulge more in the media until we finalise the matter.

“What I can tell you is that I am not lost to coaching at all. I am coaching Black Poison FC in the interim. They are my team and they’re playing in the ABC Motsepe League, and I am training them. I am also doing my football studies in the meantime as well.”

There has been much speculation on the whereabouts of Mokwena with some even concerned for the coach’s wellbeing but he revealed that he has spent time in Europe studying football.

“When I left my position at Orlando Pirates, I went overseas for some time. I spent two weeks there visiting clubs and studying football there. It was just visitations just to see how some overseas clubs operate. It was also to engage with some of my colleagues who are based in the UK.”

Mokwena vowed to return to top level coaching in the near future but couldn’t put a timeframe on any sort of moves until he has met with Orlando Pirates’ boss Irvin Khoza.

“I miss the tension and the pressure of coaching in the PSL. I miss running up and down – the coaching in the PSL… I will be back in the near future. I am not sure when I am meeting the chairman, it is up to him, he is a very busy man and I am waiting for him.

“But I love what I am doing right now in the ABC Motsepe League. We are second on the log, and we won 10 matches in succession.”