A difficult CAF Champions League campaign is raising questions about
Rulani Mokwena’s future at MC Alger, despite the team’s commanding position
in the domestic league.
Mokwena’s side finds itself rooted at the bottom of Group C, the only team
yet to win a match. A 1-0 loss to Saint Eloi Lupopo last Sunday left them
with just one point, four points adrift of group leaders Mamelodi Sundowns
and Al-Hilal at the midway stage.
Addressing the media, the former Sundowns mentor remained defiant. He
insisted qualification is still possible, pointing to upcoming home fixtures
against Lupopo and Al-Hilal, before a final group match away to his former
club, Sundowns.
Historically, performance in the Champions League is a decisive factor for
coaches at ambitious clubs. However, MC Alger’s own continental history
provides some context. The club has a limited pedigree in Africa’s premier
competition, having only recently returned to the group stages last season
after a four-year absence. They proceeded to reach the quarter-finals, a
significant achievement, before being eliminated by Orlando Pirates.
Given this context, a failure to advance from the group this season may not
be viewed as a catastrophic regression. Mokwena’s position is significantly
strengthened by his team’s formidable form in the Algerian Ligue 1, where
they lead the table with 36 points from 15 games—12 points clear of the
nearest challenger at the season’s halfway mark.
Nonetheless, the pressure to progress in the Champions League remains acute.
The club has a reputation for impatience, with no coach lasting two full
years since the turn of the century. Mokwena will be acutely aware that
domestic success, while impressive, may not fully shield him from scrutiny
if the team’s continental campaign ends prematurely.
The immediate focus shifts to a must-win home clash against Lupopo this
Sunday—a match that could define both their Champions League fate and the
narrative around Mokwena’s budding tenure.
