Rulani Mokwena To Part Ways With Wydad AC | Sbnews

Kaizer Chiefs surged into third place in the Betway Premiership standings following a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Durban City at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.

In a match defined by grit and tactical discipline, Gavin Hunt’s Durban City locked horns with the co-managed Kaizer Chiefs duo, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze.

Read: Miguel Cardoso gives update on Themba Zwane recovery

Both teams carved out opportunities in a cagey contest, but it was Flavio Silva’s late strike that ultimately broke the deadlock and proved decisive.

Chiefs started brightly, with Makabi Lilepo and Mfundo Vilakazi both testing Darren Keet early on, while City’s Mfanafuthi Mkhize fired narrowly over following a set piece.

The first half ended goalless despite half-chances at both ends, including a fine save by Keet from Vilakazi’s long-range effort just before the break.

The second half continued in similar fashion, with City pushing forward through Bokang Mokwena and Fezile Gcaba, while Chiefs gradually took control after a string of substitutions.

The introduction of Gaston Sirino added creativity, and the Uruguayan made an instant impact when his pinpoint cross found Silva in the 88th minute. The Portuguese striker rose highest to glance his header into the top corner, sending the travelling fans into raptures.

Durban City threw everything forward in the closing moments, with Letsie Koapeng forcing a fine save and Kyle Jurgens missing a late chance to equalise.

But Chiefs’ defence, marshalled by Inacio Miguel and Bradley Cross, held firm to secure a hard-fought clean sheet.

The victory lifts Chiefs to third in the standings on 19 points from 10 matches. Durban City, meanwhile, drop to fifth with 15 points from 11 games.

It was a reminder that Chiefs, despite their recent inconsistency, remain one of the Premiership’s most dangerous sides when it matters most.

Rulani Mokwena and Wydad Athletic Club have come to a mutual decision to part ways at the end of the season after a string of disappointing results.

The news were confirmed by Mokwena’s agent Steve Kapeluschnick to Hollywoodbets Sports Blog on Wednesday.

“I’ve flown to Morocco to meet with the club and president Hicham Ait Menna regarding the future of Rulani and his technical team,” Kapeluschnick said as quoted by Hollywoodbets.

“It was agreed that no matter the outcome of the remaining matches, the two parties have made a commitment that Rulani will be the coach until the end of the season, thereafter he will respectfully part ways with the club.”

The 38-year-old was named head coach of the Moroccan giants in July 2024 after his abrupt exit from Mamelodi Sundowns, under a contract that would keep him at the club until June 2027.

He took over following an underwhelming 2023/24 season, during which Wydad finished sixth in the Botola Pro 1 standings and failed to qualify for continental competitions.

Mokwena signed over 20 players but still struggled to reach the expectations of the club’s management. Currently third on the log with 43 points, having won 11 games, played 10 draws and suffered 4 losses.

“The president insisted that he continued to believe in Rulani and Rulani has complete faith in the president – we all decided to part ways at the end of the season,” Kapeluscnick added.

“He’s been completely committed to the club and the project where he has worked tirelessly to transform a side that was non-existent.

“They made a total of around 29 signings which is astonishing and from nothing, worked obsessively to build a team that was under incredible pressure to win – and win immediately.

“I am so proud of the entire technical team who worked around the clock to build and create this team, and they’re sitting in third position despite some questionable refereeing decisions and they are desperate to do as well as they can for the remainder of the season.

“He arrived in Morocco on the 11th of June, and in those ten months has returned to South Africa I think only once to bury his grandmother.

“While he was at home and in mourning, he was sitting on conference calls trying to prepare the team for their next fixture – unbelievable.

“He didn’t have time to mourn his grandmother, who was the matriarch of the family. He was so committed to his team that all he wanted to do was to be there for his players.

“Rulani and his technical team have worked 24/7 trying to return Wydad to the top of Moroccan football.

“He loves the players,” Kapeluschnick concluded.

Mokwena is gearing up for the Casablanca derby against local rivals Raja on Saturday, April 12, and emphasized at the beginning of his term that his goal is to restore the club’s competitiveness in the CAF Champions League.