Mokwena wins first 12 matches as Pyramids challenge Egypt’s established order

Rulani Mokwena has made a perfect start at Pyramids FC, winning all 12 of his matches since joining the Egyptian club in July and suggesting he may have found the stability and ambition to match his coaching ability.

Seven victories have put Pyramids top of the Egyptian Premier League, while four secured their place in the Caf Champions League group stage and another came in the Egyptian Cup.

The 2026-27 campaign follows a turbulent period for Mokwena since he left Mamelodi Sundowns in July 2024. He joined Wydad Athletic, guiding the Moroccan club from sixth in the previous season’s Botola to the top three, but left before they secured third place in May after failing to win over demanding supporters.

At MC Alger, Mokwena was leading Algeria’s Ligue Professionnelle 1 when he departed in March, reportedly following disagreements over recruitment and autonomy. He then accepted a lucrative offer from Libya’s Al-Ittihad SC, who went on to win the Algerian title two months later.

His four-month spell at Ittihad began well before the club collapsed in the playoff stage used to decide the Libyan Premier League title. They also failed to qualify for the Caf Champions League and lost the Libyan Cup final.

Despite those setbacks, Mokwena remains highly regarded after achieving notable trophy success at Sundowns. He has not outright failed at any of the major North African clubs he has managed and continues to attract interest.

Pyramids were founded in 2008 and adopted their current name in 2018. Backed financially by Emirati investor Salem Al-Shamsi, they have finished runners-up in the Premier League for the past five seasons, won three Egyptian Cups and claimed the 2024-25 Caf Champions League, with Democratic Republic of the Congo striker Fiston Mayele scoring their route to victory over Sundowns in the final.

Mokwena works alongside South African assistants Wendell Robinson and Sinethemba Badela. Asked by the South African Football Journalists’ Association what attracted him to Pyramids, he said the club’s ambition and the chance to work in different football cultures were decisive.

“Pyramids came at the right time,” he said. “I want to work in different leagues, with different players and cultures. I want to learn from different people, improve my ideas on football and challenge them.”

He added that he had enjoyed his time in Algeria, contrary to some negative accounts, praising its football passion, the Ali La Pointe Stadium in Algiers and the technical education of Algerian Francophone players developed in French academies including St Etienne, Lyon and Lille.

Mokwena also highlighted Egypt’s football heritage, noting that the country has won a record seven Afcon titles and more Caf interclub titles than any other nation. He said Egyptian clubs regularly reach the latter stages of the Champions League and Confederation Cup, with Zamalek losing to USM [Alger] last season.

Pyramids have had about 20 coaches since 2018, although Krunoslav Jurcic, Mokwena’s predecessor, lasted almost two-and-a-half years after winning the Champions League.

Mokwena says he is ready for the pressure of the Cairo derby against Al Ahly on November 23, having experienced intense rivalries with Wydad and Raja, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.

“Fortunately I’ve been marinated in pressure,” he said. “What is missing for Pyramids is to be [Egyptian Premier] League champions. That’s the pressure you feel is on the shoulders of the players, the staff, management and hierarchy.”