As Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola targets a treble in Europe, so the man dubbed “Pep-lite” is eyeing an African double.
Rhulani Mokwena, in his first full season in charge of South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, has sealed the South African Premiership title with a record seven games to spare.
Now he has his sights set on the African Champions League.
The Brazilians – so-called because they play in the same kit colours as the South American nation – host the second leg of their semi-final against defending champions Wydad Casablanca of Morocco on Saturday with the tie poised at 0-0.
Aged 36, Mokwena’s style, both on and off the pitch, has led to the Pep-lite nickname – a comparison he is at ease with.
“Pep is someone that I follow very closely,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“I’ve got huge admiration for him. He is an incredible football coach, so successful.”
‘You have to learn from the best’
Mokwena is from a football family. His father is former Orlando Pirates player Julius Sono while his uncle, Jomo Sono, spent many years playing in the USA and had several spells as caretaker manager of the South African national side.
Mokwena’s playing career was not so notable but he impressed early as a coach with Sundowns.
He was a protege of legendary coach Pitso Mosimane who led the team to five titles in eight seasons between 2012 and 2020 as well as a first African Champions League crown in 2016.
Mokwena worked under Mosimane between 2014 and 2017 before following in the footsteps of his family members and heading to the Pirates for a role as assistant manager to Milutin Sredojevic, taking over as interim boss when the Serb resigned in August 2019.
Next up came a spell as caretaker at Chippa United, a role badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, before a return to Sundowns to replace Mosimane, initially in a joint-head coach role alongside another former assistant, Manqoba Mngqithi.
“As a coach, you have to copy good things and learn from the best,” said Wayne Arendse, a former Sundowns defender who was part of the Champions League-winning team in 2016.
“But if something is working for you, you persist with it, you keep going with it.
“With football evolving, people are analysing you, which means you can’t play the same system. Rhulani is one coach who always looks further and, like people say, he is a fan of Pep.
“If it is working for you, why not copy it?”
Mokwena was handed sole charge of Sundowns in October, after they were crushed 3-0 by former club the Pirates in the semi-finals of a domestic cup competition.
Since assuming full control, the team owned by Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe have shown style and substance, losing just one of their past 34 matches.
Klopp, cargo pants and face scratching
Mokwena is not only studying Guardiola from afar.
He has also spent time in England learning in person from the Premier League’s best.
“I went twice to see how Klopp works and his technical team, and I learned so much,” Mokwena revealed.
“I also watch a lot of how Liverpool play. They haven’t had a very good season but they’ve been outstanding ever since Klopp arrived.”
Klopp’s recent decision to move right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold into a more central midfield role is reminiscent of Guardiola’s tactics, so it is no surprise that Mokwena has also adopted this hybrid role for his defenders.
According to another of the Brazilians’ 2016 Champions League winners, Tebogo Langerman, “Rhulani has long admired Pep Guardiola.
“He has been following him for a long time and you can see [that in] how Sundowns play.”
But off the field, the man from Johannesburg also draws comparisons with the iconic Spaniard, with people noticing his habit of scratching his face in press conferences, which Guardiola also does. Comments have also been passed on his dress sense, particularly when it comes to his cargo pants.
While City have been dominant at home and abroad, regularly producing results like the 4-0 thrashing handed out to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, Sundowns have also been dispatching opponents with ease, including a 5-2 hammering of Egypt’s Al Ahly in the group stage of their own continental competition.
Another statement of intent came in the quarter-finals, brushing aside Algerian side CR Belouizdad 6-2 on aggregate.
The 0-0 draw against Wydad in the semi-final first leg means Mokwena and his team are now one win away from a final appearance against either Al Ahly or Esperance of Tunisia. Al Ahly hold a 3-0 lead from their first leg.
Developing the chemistry
Just like Guardiola and Klopp, Mokwena is diligent in his approach.
“It’s months and months of work,” he said.
“From day one of the season, pre-season, you’re working and you’re putting together the pieces.
“You are developing the chemistry of the team from a social perspective, because you need them in difficult games to stay together to have a true sense of brotherhood and support each other and be good team-mates.
“The players have been incredibly supportive and responsive to the training methods and the principles and the concepts.”
Mokwena has every chance of matching his mentor Mosimane by winning the Champions League, a feat that would seal qualification for Fifa’s Club World Cup.
With Manchester City set to take on Inter Milan in the European Champions League final, there is the possibility that Pep and Pep-lite could soon be going head-to-head on the touchline.
Whether the cargo pants make it as well remains to be seen.
