Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Få ubegrenset tilgang til over 9000 magasiner, aviser og premiumhistorier for bare

$149.99
 
$74.99/År

Prøve GULL - Gratis

Mokwena's return written in stars as Riveiro bids farewell to Pirates

The Star

|

May 14, 2025

AS José Riveiro prepares to exit the stage, the door swings wide open for a new dawn at Orlando Pirates. Whether by fate or design, Rulani Mokwena could step in seamlessly, offering both fresh energy and the continuity the club craves.

- OBAKENG MELETSE

The former Wydad Athletic Club coach was trusted by the Buccaneers following Milutin Sredojević's sudden departure in the 2019/20 season, when he was appointed interim manager. Mokwena, the nephew of Pirates legend Jomo Sono, took charge for 14 matches, managing four wins, five draws, and five defeats.

His interim spell did not result in a permanent role, and he returned to his assistant position under newly appointed head coach Josef Zinnbauer. The 38-year-old was later loaned to Chippa United for a brief stint.

Still, his departure from Pirates always felt like an intermission rather than a curtain call. Even he never completely closed the door on a return to the club — or even a collaboration with Zinnbauer — but that reunion never materialised.

Instead, his return to Mamelodi Sundowns, under the expert mentorship of Pitso Mosimane, proved a defining moment in his coaching career. Mokwena became a central figure in the club's most dominant era — a foundation so solid that Sundowns are currently on course for an unprecedented eighth consecutive league title and recently reached another CAF Champions League final.

Mokwena rose through the ranks, guiding Sundowns to seven trophies, including four league titles, the Nedbank Cup, the MTN8, and the African Football League, in roles as both co-coach and head coach. He capped off his domestic success with a record for the fewest defeats (one) in a single league season.

However, even that remarkable record could not guarantee long-term security.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Star

The Star

Race to the finish: Our racing driver's last round at Zwartkops

AND just like that it’s about to end.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

The Star

Young Bull Ludwig’s leadership earns praise

IT’S been a season of growth and quiet authority for Bulls lock Reinhardt Ludwig, one that now sees the 23-year-old emerge as a genuine leader within the squad.

time to read

1 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

The Star

Land Cruiser FJ prototype brings off-road capability to a more affordable segment

THE all-new Land Cruiser FJ has been revealed, and it's set to make Toyota's iconic 4x4 nameplate more accessible to a wider audience.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

Dixon earns ‘surprise’ Bok recall

IT’S been a rather eventful 12 months for Springbok loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon - most of it off the field.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

Celebrating production of 500,000th Polo at SA‘s Kariega Plant

WITH the South African motor manufacturing industry under increasing pressure as a result of the influx of cars from China and India, tariff wars, the change to New Energy Vehicles and steel challenges, to name a few, it’s heartening to see that the Volkswagen plant in Kariega has announced that the 500 000th unit of the Polo has rolled off the assembly line.

time to read

1 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

Murder of engineer linked to Transnet corruption

SLAIN engineer Armand Swarts was killed days after the company he worked for raised questions about a Transnet tender issued to SK Group, a company found to be inflating prices.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

Frustrated MPs accuse Mchunu of dishonesty

Grilled him on PKTT, SAPS and his alleged connections to Matlala

time to read

4 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

US’ scheme to disrupt Beijing Time exposed

CHINAS national security agency revealed on Sunday that the United States National Security Agency has long plotted cyberattacks against the National Time Service Center, which is responsible for generating and maintaining standard Beijing Time.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

Mo Salah has to find his own mojo without Trent

ONE plus one makes 11. The proverb, of course, refers to when two individuals or entities work together, they create something greater than the sum of their parts.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

The Star

The Star

Beganovic wary of in-form Golden Arrows

TS GALAXY coach Adnan Beganovic says he will be wary of a dangerous Golden Arrows side, even though his team holds an impressive record against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit.

time to read

2 mins

October 23, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size