‘I’m the Coach of the Season’ – Says Sundowns’ Rulani Mokwena

The DStv Premiership awards are coming. Mamelodi Sundowns and coach Rulani Mokwena are expected to sweep the big ones.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS COACH RULANI MOKWENA FOR COACH OF THE SEASON

The club known as Kabo Yellow lifted a seventh league title in a row with six matches matches to spare. Additionally, Sundowns went on to break the record of the highest points won in a single. The record of 71 points was previously marked by Pitso Mosimane.

Speaking to the media after beating Stellenbosch FC 1-0 in Cape Town on Saturday, coach Rulani Mokwena, who is younger than one of his players, was asked to name his Coach of the Season.

“The Coach of the Season would be me [Rulani Mokwena], that’s what I think. I think the Coach Of the season must be the coach that wins the league,” Mokwena said via iDiski Times.

“But I can’t not give lots of compliments to the work that Stevie Barker has done. He deserves incredible applaudits for the work he has done at Stellenbosch.

“And many of my other colleagues, there’s been some very good work that’s been done, Jose Riveiro at Pirates has done some very good work.

“But without sounding arrogant, the Coach of the Season in my opinion would me for sure and I have no doubts about it,” the Sundowns mentor concluded.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON CHOICES

Chatting to the media about the Player of the Season award last month, Sundowns coach Mokwena picked his goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Orlando Pirates’ Patrick Maswanganyi, as well as Teboho Mokoena and Mosa Lebusa.

“It is a difficult one because I think there has been an unorthodox front runner and that’s Ronwen Williams and it is unorthodox because we normally don’t consider goalkeepers to receive such awards,” Mokwena said via Sowetan.

“I’m talking about football culture worldwide. That’s why they started creating individual awards like the Golden Gloves awards for goalkeepers, because honestly, it’s an award that very seldom goes to the goalkeeper.

Mokwena added to say that Williams’ goalkeeping is as excellent as his ability on the ball.

“When I look at Ronwen’s contribution this season to Sundowns, not only to goalkeeping but also to in-field play. In possessions, the way he tries to do things and from the level of consistency he has been head and shoulders above the rest.

The Sundowns tactician said Maswanganyi also deserves a look-in.

“But there have been very good individual performances, a player like Patrick Maswanganyi deserves special mention because I have been watching and he is picking up towards the end of the season.

“I think Teboho Mokoena has been good once again. He is at a very good level. I think Mosa Lebusa has been excellent, this is my opinion. 

“He has been having an incredible season and some of the players that went to Bafana Bafana even before they went to Afcon, were excellent.

“If I was a judge, I would be biased and it would go to Sundowns player no doubt about that,” Mokwena concluded.