A humbled Rulani Mokwena has reacted to being nominated for the Coach of the Season award as his Mamelodi Sundowns side stormed to their seventh successive DStv Premiership title.
Mokwena also clinched the DStv Premiership Coach of the Month award for the third time this season. This recognition comes as no surprise, given his team’s record-breaking season in registering the highest-ever points tally for a season.
“I’m just nominated because I coach some of the good players and I’m just humbled to be in that space,” Mokwena said.
Sundowns remained unbeaten for 28 matches in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and amassed a remarkable 73 points.
Their 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch was a landmark achievement, breaking their previous points record of 71 points. With this victory, the team set a new record of 73 points, highlighting their dominance in the league.
🇿🇦 Rhulani Mokwena as Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach:
— Micky Jnr (@MickyJnr__) May 26, 2024
🏆 African Football League
🏆 4x Premier League titles
🏆 Nedbank Cup
🏆 MTN 8
🏆 Carling Black Label Cup
He’s just 37 and already destined for greatness. 💛👆🏼#AfricanFootball #Sundowns pic.twitter.com/ygbHKX9nzJ
Mokwena believes that his colleagues deserve recognition for their collective effort and dedication throughout the season.
“I think if you look at the work that a lot of my colleagues have done, they deserve a lot of credit. The work that Steve Barker has done is incredible. What he’s done is something that they’ve built over years and they’ve been stable.”
“Jose Riveiro, I like Jose so much. Every time I meet him, I get a genuine sense of respect, you know, like a genuine sense of sportsmanship. He’s a fierce competitor, but he’s a good person.
The TS Galaxy coach has done a good job too. If you look at the team, it has improved, some of the players have gotten better. If you look at, even from a competitive sense, Kano at Richards Bay, how he’s gotten the team to every game, getting better.”
“Musa Nyatama at Swallows he’s been, I watch swallows a lot and I really enjoy watching them (Moroka Swallows) play football. So these are the colleagues that I could say deserve to be nominated and that just humbles me and gives me a space to appreciate my players even more,” he concluded.
Mokwena’s accolades as the DStv Premiership Coach of the Month and his nomination for Coach of the Season are well-deserved honours that celebrate a remarkable journey through the 2023/24 season.
