The rivalry between two former PSL coaches Rulani Mokwena and Sead Ramovic could be reignited in Algeria in the 2025/26 season.
This is after Mokwena joined reigning Algerian Ligue1 champions, MC Alger, on Monday. Ramovic is already coaching CR Belouizdad, where former Cape Town City marksman Khanyisa Mayo is plying his trade. Mokwena and Ramovic traded a series of verbal blows when they coached Mamelodi Sundowns and TS Galaxy respectively last year.
“Rulani Mokwena, new coach for the dean of Algerian clubs,” Alger's Monday morning statement read.
“Mokwena, welcome to Mouloudia.” In one of the press conferences early last year, the German-born Bosnian mentor, Ramovic, mockingly called Mokwena “Mr Sunshine”. The former Wyada Casablanca tactician fired back by saying Ramovic was seeking attention.
The root of the feud started when Galaxy beat Sundowns, prompting Mokwena to bemoan that they only lost because they were without several key players, who were away on international duty with Bafana Bafana. Ramovic believed Mokwena was discrediting his team by saying that.
The 38-year-old Mokwena joins Alger a month after leaving Wydad, where he had to leave just a few games before the end of the season. Mokwena won 14 of the 35 games he was in charge of at Wydad with 14 draws and seven defeats.
At Alger, the former Sundowns mentor replaces veteran Tunisian coach Khaled Ben Yahia, who guided Le Doyen to their ninth Algerian League1 title last season.
It remains to be seen if Mokwena will go with his own technical team to Algeria, having done that when he joined Wydad in July 2024. Allan Freese, Sinethemba Badela and Sean Louw tagged along with Mokwena to form part of his technical panel in Casablanca.
Freese, who was Mokwena's second assistant coach and goalkeeper coach Louw are currently unattached, while Badela, who was his first assistant, is now Chippa United's head coach.
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