Raja turn to South African coach to resolve goalkeeping vacancy

Raja Club Athletic head coach Nasreddine Nabi is set to bring South African coach Wayne Sandilands into his technical staff as the club moves to fill its vacant goalkeeping-coach position.

Sandilands is expected to return to Raja after reportedly completing weeks of successful negotiations with the Moroccan club, according to Insider Raja.

The appointment follows Raja’s decision to part company with goalkeeping coach Ilyes Mzoughi early last month. Mzoughi’s departure came after an allegedly explicit video involving him began circulating online.

Mzoughi later released a public statement in which he said the video had been used as part of an extortion attempt. He denied that the footage was authentic, claiming it had been fabricated using artificial intelligence.

The former Raja coach also said the video was released after he refused to pay $20,000, an amount equivalent to approximately R329,000, to people he alleged were attempting to blackmail him.

His position is now reportedly set to be taken by Sandilands, who is already familiar with the club after previously working as Raja’s goalkeeping coach.

The South African was previously part of Fadlu Davids’ coaching staff at Raja, before Davids was dismissed in June 2026. Sandilands’ return would therefore represent a second spell with the club, this time under Nabi.

Sandilands has built extensive experience in goalkeeping departments across both South Africa and elsewhere in Africa. Before his earlier involvement with Raja, he worked with Orlando Pirates, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu.

He has also held a goalkeeping-coaching role at Simba SC in Tanzania.

The reported move gives Nabi a solution to a key vacancy within his technical team as Raja prepare to continue their work under the head coach. The club’s decision to appoint Sandilands would also restore a familiar figure to a specialist position that has been left open since Mzoughi’s exit.

Sandilands’ previous experience at Raja and his work with several established clubs are understood to have contributed to the negotiations reaching a successful conclusion.

The developments were reported by Insider Raja, while the original report was written by Lukhanyo Mtuta.