The discussion surrounding Jose Riveiro’s replacement has been intense since his imminent departure was confirmed, with Rulani Mokwena amongst the suggested names, but former Bucs goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs doesn’t approve of Mlungisi taking over from Riveiro.
Whoever steps in will have big shoes to fill, as the Spanish tactician raised the bar by lifting five trophies in three seasons and is in line to bag two more titles, having already booked a spot in the final of the Nedbank Cup and is in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League.
Mokwena, on the other hand, is set to part ways with Moroccan giants Wydad AC at the end of the season after struggling to meet management’s expectations despite being third on the Botola Pro League, having taken over following the club’s sixth-place finish in the 2023/24 season.
Speaking to the Soccerbeat podcast, Josephs lauded Rulani’s progress since joining the Moroccan club, highlighting the struggles of working in a foreign country.
“I think he’s been doing well, he’s gone there to challenge himself, and you can see the progress that he’s been making.
“For any South African going to North Africa, there’s always a challenge, we always hear this bad and negative press coming from there about the way people get treated. It’s always tough, but he has taken the team and progressed with them, and you can see the improvement.
The 38-year-old mentor was the assistant coach of Milutin Sredojevic at Pirates during the start of the 2017/18 season before being appointed as the caretaker coach after the departure of Sredojevic.
He made his mark at Mamelodi Sundowns, leading them to their seventh successive league title and winning the inaugural African Football League in the 2023/24 season.
Josephs doesn’t feel that Mokwena should return to the Pirates after struggling to find success when the club gave him a chance.
“If we’re looking at wanting to bring him back to Orlando Pirates, as good a coach as he is, why would we put on old shoes again? Why would you go back again?
“From what I can remember, when he was by us, there were a whole lot of issues, there were tantrums, our supporters weren’t too happy as well. It was boiling there with him [at the helm]. For me, he left a sour taste in my mouth when he left Orlando Pirates. He continued.
The retired skipper, who is now the goalkeeper coach of the Kenyan national team, played 125 matches for the Sea Robbers and kept 62 clean sheets. He feels that Rulani’s ego may be his downfall if he were to be given another chance at Pirates.
“At Orlando Pirates, we’ve got this culture that coach Jose has brought. We don’t won’t need someone to come and change that culture. We need someone to add to that culture.
“I love him as a coach, but I understand that there’s a lot of ego involved, and we don’t need that at the moment. In my personal opinion, we don’t need an ego there now. We need someone who’s going to work with his players who understands where they are in their careers and to take them to that next level,” he concluded.