Rulani Mokwena faces immediate pressure at Pyramids as 13th coach

Rulani Mokwena has become the 13th full-time coach of Pyramids since the club was formed in 2018, taking charge of a side expected to win both the CAF Champions League and the Egyptian Premier League.

The Egyptian league title has proved particularly elusive for the ambitious Cairo outfit, despite the club’s determination to establish itself among the leading forces in the country and on the continent. Mokwena’s appointment therefore comes with a clear mandate: secure major silverware in a job where patience has rarely been in plentiful supply.

The South African tactician inherits the position previously held by Pyramids’ most successful manager, Krunoslav Jurcic. The Croatian spent two years in charge, a notably long spell by regional standards, and guided the club to two Egypt Cup triumphs as well as its first CAF Champions League title.

Jurcic’s tenure stands out sharply against the wider coaching record at Pyramids. He is the only manager to have led the club in more than 100 matches, underlining the demanding nature of the role and the limited time most coaches have been given to build lasting success.

Jaime Pacheco is the only other coach to have passed 50 games in charge. The Portuguese tactician managed Pyramids for 58 matches, meaning that even a relatively substantial spell has been the exception rather than the rule since the club’s formation.

That history places additional pressure on Mokwena, who must contend not only with the expectation of winning trophies but also with the departure of Fiston Mayele. The DR Congo international was central to much of Pyramids’ progress and became one of Africa’s most feared strikers during his time with the club.

Mayele also played a decisive role in Pyramids’ first Champions League success in the 2024/25 campaign. Replacing the attacking threat he provided will be among the most difficult tasks facing Mokwena as he begins his tenure.

The new coach must therefore attempt to maintain Pyramids’ continental standing while also ending the club’s wait for the Egyptian Premier League crown. He will be judged in an environment where long-term rebuilding is difficult and where coaches have seldom been allowed the time enjoyed by Jurcic.

For Mokwena, the challenge is twofold. He must find a way to replace a striker who was instrumental in the club’s biggest achievement, while also delivering trophies in a role that has already claimed 12 full-time coaches before him.

His appointment is consequently less a routine change in the dugout than the latest test of whether Pyramids can turn ambition into sustained success. The pressure will be immediate, with the demands for Champions League and league success clearly established from the outset.

Read: Rulani: ‘If you don’t want that, don’t take these jobs’