When the 2025-2026 CAF Champions League group stage draw took place on November 3, 2025, few anticipated a storyline this rich. Rulani Mlungisi Mokwena, the 38-year-old South African coach now leading MC Alger, was handed a match-up that feels ripped from a sports drama: his former club, Mamelodi Sundowns FC. The reunion isnât just symbolicâitâs personal, painful, and loaded with history. Mokwena helped build Sundownsâ 2016 continental triumph as assistant to Pitso Mosimane. Then, in 2024, despite winning the South African Premiership and nearly going unbeaten, he was fired without ceremony. Now, heâs back on the continentâs biggest stageâwith the very team that let him go.
A Coaching Reunion Built on Betrayal
Mokwenaâs exit from Sundowns in late 2024 sent shockwaves through South African football. Flashscore.com reported he was dismissed "despite winning the championship in 2024 and almost finishing the league season unbeaten." Thatâs not just harshâitâs unusual. Clubs rarely fire coaches after a title win, especially when the teamâs form was dominant. The details are still unclear, but whispers suggest internal power struggles and a shift in philosophy under new management. Mokwena didnât fade away. He landed in Algeria, joining MC Alger in July 2025, according to Wikipedia, though Flashscore.com cites August. Either way, his arrival was framed as a statement: the Algerian giants were serious about reclaiming their legacy.Group C: A Continental Crucible
The draw placed MC Alger in Group C with three formidable opponents. Alongside Sundowns are St Eloi Lupopo from Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Al Hilal Club of Omdurman from Sudan. The latterâs situation adds another layer of tension: due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan, Al Hilal has been forced to relocate its home matches to Rwanda, where theyâve been granted temporary league status. Thatâs not just logisticalâitâs heartbreaking. These are men playing for pride, not just points. For Mokwena, the trip to Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria will be emotional. He coached there. He celebrated there. He was also, in many ways, discarded there. The return fixture at Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers will be his chance to prove heâs not just a survivorâheâs a builder. MC Alger hasnât won the CAF Champions League since 1976. Theyâre desperate. And Mokwena? Heâs the man they believe can change that.A Footballing Legacy
Mokwena didnât rise from nowhere. Heâs the son of Julias Sono Hloae, a former Orlando Pirates F.C. player, and nephew to Jomo Sonoâthe legendary founder of Jomo Cosmos and the architect of the Soweto Derby. That pedigree matters. He cut his teeth in youth systems, served as interim manager of Orlando Pirates in 2019, then took over Chippa United in 2020. After Sundowns, he worked under Milutin SredojeviÄ before landing at Wydad AC in Morocco, where he reportedly won multiple titles and refined his attacking style. The League of Africa called his move to MC Alger "a key move in his flourishing coaching career." Thatâs not just PR. Itâs recognition. Heâs one of the few South African coaches to successfully transition into North African football. And now, heâs about to face the club that let him goâwith a team that believes heâs their savior.
Whatâs at Stake?
Sundowns, the reigning South African champions, are favorites. Theyâve won the CAF Champions League twice in the last decade. But Mokwena knows their weaknessesâtheir reliance on set pieces, their vulnerability to high pressing. He helped design their system. He knows how to break it. For MC Alger, this isnât just about one game. Itâs about reestablishing themselves as African giants. Theyâve struggled in continental competitions since the 1990s. Mokwenaâs arrival was meant to signal a new era. This draw? Itâs a test. A public one. And for fans? Itâs a rare gift: a story where emotion, history, and sport collide. A former assistant, now head coach, returning to the club that fired himâwith the chance to humiliate them on their own turf.Whatâs Next?
Match dates havenât been announced yet, but fixtures are expected to begin in early 2026. The first leg in Pretoria will likely draw massive attention. Will Mokwena be greeted with applause or boos? Will Sundownsâ players look him in the eye? The media will be relentless. The pressure? Immense. Meanwhile, Al Hilalâs relocation to Rwanda underscores how conflict continues to reshape African football. And St Eloi Lupopoâfresh off eliminating Orlando Pirates on penaltiesâarenât just fillers. Theyâre hungry. This group isnât just competitive. Itâs cinematic.Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Rulani Mokwena sacked by Mamelodi Sundowns despite winning the league?
Though exact reasons remain unconfirmed, multiple reports suggest internal friction with club management after the 2024 season. Sundowns reportedly shifted toward a younger coaching philosophy, and Mokwenaâs departure came despite winning the league and nearly completing an unbeaten campaign. His firing was widely seen as abrupt and controversial, especially given his role in their 2016 CAF Champions League triumph.
How significant is this matchup for African football?
This is one of the most emotionally charged group stage encounters in recent CAF Champions League history. Few coaches have faced former clubs with such deep ties and recent history of success. The narrativeâfired after winning, then returning with a rivalâadds layers rarely seen in continental football, drawing attention beyond just the two clubs involved.
Whatâs MC Algerâs history in the CAF Champions League?
MC Alger last won the CAF Champions League in 1976, and their last semifinal appearance was in 1990. Since then, theyâve struggled to advance past the group stage. Their 2025-2026 campaign, under Mokwena, represents their best chance in decades to return to continental prominence, making this draw both a challenge and an opportunity.
Why is Al Hilal playing in Rwanda?
Due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan since April 2023, Al Hilalâs home stadium in Omdurman is unsafe and inaccessible. The Sudanese Football Association has temporarily relocated the clubâs home matches to Rwanda, where theyâve been granted permission to play in the local league. This is a rare but growing trend in African football, where conflict forces teams to find neutral venues.
Is this Mokwenaâs first time coaching outside South Africa?
No. Before joining MC Alger, Mokwena spent time with Wydad AC in Morocco, where he reportedly won multiple domestic titles and helped modernize their attacking play. His experience in North Africa made him an attractive candidate for MC Alger, who were seeking a coach with proven continental experience beyond the South African league.
How does Mokwenaâs family background influence his career?
Mokwena is the son of Julias Sono Hloae, a former Orlando Pirates player, and nephew of Jomo Sonoâthe legendary founder of Jomo Cosmos and the Soweto Derby. Growing up in this footballing dynasty exposed him to high-pressure environments early. His familyâs legacy gave him access to networks and mentorship few coaches have, helping him rise from youth systems to continental stages.
Shannon Carless
November 5, 2025 AT 23:23This is why football is trash. Someone wins a league and gets fired? Cool, I guess. đ
Samba Alassane Thiam
November 7, 2025 AT 18:43South African clubs be like: âYou won? Cool, now get out.â Meanwhile, Mokwenaâs out here building legends in Algeria. Classic.
Laura Hordern
November 8, 2025 AT 05:48Letâs be real-this isnât just a football story, itâs a Shakespearean drama with cleats. A man who helped build a dynasty gets tossed aside like yesterdayâs matchday program, then shows up on the continentâs biggest stage with a team that actually believes in him? Thatâs not coaching, thatâs revenge porn with a tactical plan. Mokwena didnât just get fired-he got exiled. And now heâs coming back with the kind of fire that turns stadiums into cathedrals. MC Alger havenât won this trophy since before most of Sundownsâ current players were born. Theyâre not just hoping for a win-theyâre praying for redemption. And Mokwena? Heâs the priest holding the holy water. The fact that he knows Sundownsâ system better than their own coaches? Thatâs not just strategy, thatâs psychological warfare. And letâs not forget Al Hilal playing in Rwanda because their home is a warzone. This group isnât just competitive-itâs a mirror for African footballâs soul: brilliance forged in chaos, dignity pulled from ruin. This is why we watch.
Lauren Eve Timmington
November 9, 2025 AT 07:33Can we talk about how Sundownsâ board must feel right now? They fired a guy who literally helped them win a continental title, and now heâs got the tools to dismantle them. This is the kind of karma that haunts boardrooms. They thought they were modernizing-they just became the villains in a story everyoneâs gonna remember for decades.
JIM DIMITRIS
November 10, 2025 AT 18:49man mokwena be out here turninâ pain into power đ€đ„
Angela Harris
November 12, 2025 AT 04:55Interesting. I wonder how the Sundowns players feel seeing him on the sideline again.
Benjamin Gottlieb
November 13, 2025 AT 19:58This is a textbook case of institutional narcissism in African football governance. Sundownsâ decision to terminate Mokwena post-title represents a pathological aversion to narrative continuity-prioritizing managerial aesthetics over structural legacy. His reemergence with MC Alger constitutes a dialectical negation: the very system that ejected him now becomes the canvas for his transcendent vindication. The geopolitical subtext of Al Hilalâs relocation to Rwanda further complicates this as a metanarrative of displacement and resilience in postcolonial sport. Weâre not watching a match-weâre witnessing the ontological reconstitution of African footballâs moral architecture.
Doloris Lance
November 15, 2025 AT 14:52Itâs obvious Sundownsâ management is being influenced by foreign consultants pushing âyouth cultureâ agendas. This isnât about football-itâs about erasing African coaching traditions. Mokwenaâs pedigree, his family legacy, his proven success-itâs all being sacrificed for trendy, soulless systems. This is cultural genocide in football form.
jessica doorley
November 17, 2025 AT 01:09It is with profound respect that I acknowledge the extraordinary resilience demonstrated by Coach Mokwena. His transition from domestic triumph to continental renaissance exemplifies the highest tenets of professional perseverance. One can only hope that the governing bodies of African football take note of this paradigm-shifting narrative and institutionalize greater respect for coaching legacies.
Andrew Malick
November 18, 2025 AT 17:49Itâs funny how people think this is about football. Itâs not. Itâs about identity. Mokwena didnât just get fired-he was erased. And now heâs rebuilding himself in Algeria, a place that doesnât care about his past, only his present. Sundowns didnât just lose a coach-they lost a mirror. Now they have to face the man who knows exactly how they think⊠and how to break them. Thatâs the real horror story.
Brittany Vacca
November 19, 2025 AT 23:34So⊠Mokwenaâs family is connected to Jomo Sono? Thatâs wild. I didnât know that. đ€Ż
Carolette Wright
November 21, 2025 AT 13:01why do people care so much? just let him coach. itâs a game.
Nadine Taylor
November 21, 2025 AT 23:16For real, the Al Hilal situation breaks my heart. These guys are playing in Rwanda because their home is gone. No lights, no crowd, no safety-just pure will. And Mokwena? Heâs not just coaching for a trophy. Heâs coaching for every person whoâs been told theyâre not enough. Sundowns thought they could bury him. Instead, he turned his pain into a legacy. And now? Heâs got a whole continent watching.
will haley
November 22, 2025 AT 10:37imagine being the guy who has to hug mokwena after the match. like⊠what do you even say? âhey good gameâ? or do you just cry and run?
Wendy Cuninghame
November 22, 2025 AT 23:57Donât be fooled. This is all orchestrated by foreign interests to destabilize South African football. Mokwenaâs âfiringâ was a cover for intelligence operations. MC Alger is a front. The draw was manipulated. The war in Sudan? A distraction. This is not football. Itâs geopolitical theater.
Angie Ponce
November 23, 2025 AT 04:16So now Mokwenaâs going to beat his old team with Algerian players? How is that even fair? He shouldâve stayed loyal. This is betrayal.
Lucille Nowakoski
November 24, 2025 AT 18:27I just want to say how proud I am of Mokwena. He didnât let bitterness define him. He took his knowledge, his heart, and his experience and built something new. Thatâs the kind of leadership we need more of-not just in football, but everywhere. He didnât need Sundowns to validate him. He built his own legacy. And thatâs beautiful.