As Rulani Mokwena prepares to face his former club, Mamelodi Sundowns,
for the first time with MC Alger in the CAF Champions League, the spotlight
turns to a compelling trend: how have other former coaches of ‘The
Brazilians’ performed against the powerhouse since their departures?
The history of these reunions began with the most high-profile exit: Pitso
Mosimane. His move to Al Ahly in 2020 set the stage for an intense
continental rivalry. In his first return during the 2020/21 CAF Champions
League quarter-finals, Mosimane delivered a masterclass. His Al Ahly side
secured a commanding 2-0 victory in Egypt and held Sundowns to a 1-1 draw in
Tshwane, knocking his former team out of the competition.
However, Sundowns soon exacted their revenge. In the following season’s
group stages, the South African champions beat Mosimane’s Al Ahly twice,
both by a narrow 1-0 scoreline, reasserting their dominance in the fixture.
The pattern continued with Steve Komphela. After a brief stint as head coach
of Moroka Swallows, he faced Sundowns twice. His first test ended in a
narrow 1-0 MTN8 quarter-final defeat, followed by a 3-0 league loss.
However, after moving to Golden Arrows, Komphela managed to avoid defeat,
engineering a hard-fought goalless draw against his former employers.
Most recently, Manqoba Mngqithi demonstrated that beating Sundowns is
possible. Just months after his departure from Chloorkop, he masterminded a
1-0 victory over the reigning champions while in charge of Golden Arrows in
September.
This history provides a compelling backdrop for Mokwena’s upcoming
encounter, adding another chapter to the story of Sundowns’ alumni returning
to challenge their former club.
