Wydad Casablanca head coach Rulani Mokwena has opened up about the possibility of reuniting with former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu, who is currently without a team.
Zungu’s exit from Masandawana, like that of Mokwena, came as a shock when he announced his exit on social media.
‘Ben 10’, as Zungu was affectionately known in his more youthful days, spent two seasons in his second stint in Chloorkop where enjoyed a substantial amount of game time under Mokwena.
The former Glasgow Rangers midfielder is understood to have close relations with Mokwena, who was influential in bringing the 31-year-old back to Sundowns in 2022.
Mokwena, meanwhile, was unceremoniously sacked six weeks ago after he led Masandawana to a record-extending seventh league crown on the trot, breaking the 71-point barrier in the process as Sundowns finished the 2023/24 league season on 73 points, falling a game short from going the entire season undefeated.
With Zungu club-less, Mokwena did not hide his keenness on reuniting with the midfielder at Wydad. In an interview with The South African Football Journalists Association, Mokwena spoke about his admiration of the ex-Bafana Bafana star.
“Bongani is not attached at the moment. I am a big Bongani Zungu fan and I think everybody knows. I love Bongani Zungu as a person because this is what makes him a top football player,” said Mokwena.
“He is an incredible human being. There is a huge possibility (for Zungu to join Wydad) but we have to see because it is a bit more complicated than people think. It is a big possibility and I think it is something that we are considering,” Mokwena added.
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Mokwena, meanwhile, went on to reveal that the club gave him the latitude to take charge of recruitment, both on the playing personnel and the coaching staff.
At Wydad, Mokwena took his long-time mentor Allan Freese to serve as the technical director while Sibusiso Makitla, Sibusiso Mahlangu, and Sinethemba Badela are all his trusted lieutenants. Having control of the ins and outs at The Red Castle was non-negotiable for Mokwena, whose wish was granted.
“The negotiations were a little bit difficult, but my agent did an incredible job because my past experiences provided some form of possibilities to move into the new job with lessons.
“We tried to avoid certain situations that would possibly cause us some problems down the line and one of the major things was in relation to player recruitment and the technical staff appointments.
“Fortunately I have the backing of the club and it was one of the conditions which are placed in my contract. It is very difficult to be accountable for certain things if you don’t take responsibility,” said Mokwena.
Chef Rulani Mokwena 👨🏾🍳😂 pic.twitter.com/SJk7QoyPM6
— Wydad Red Castle (@WydadRedCastle) August 13, 2024
