The youthful tactician did not last long at the helm of the Buccaneers which was his first-ever job as head of a PSL team
Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach has explained the circumstances which led to his short spell as Orlando Pirates caretaker coach.
After working as an assistant coach to Milutin Sredojevic, Mokwena was left at the helm of the Buccaneers ship in August 2019 following the Serb’s departure but his stint was short-lived.
He only lasted 14 games in his role as interim coach before Josef Zinnbauer was hired on a substantive basis.
While his tenure in caretaker capacity was a difficult one, Mokwena still feels Pirates did not afford him enough time to prove himself.
“Unfortunately we live in a society where we want instant gratification, but we as tacticians have got to stay true to the process and try to make sure that we try to build something that is sustainable,” said Mokwena as per Phakaaathi.
“We even saw in my previous club where we worked in a certain way and people were not very happy with the results but we pleaded for time and patience because we knew what we were trying to build.
“We knew the tree we wanted to plant to enjoy the shade but people became impatient and a couple of months later when things plummeted, everyone was saying ‘hmm, maybe with a bit more patience things could have been different’ … but that is the reality of sport.”
The arrival of Zinnbauer saw Mokwena joining Chippa United where he oversaw just one game, a draw against Bidvest Wits, before retracing his roots to Sundowns.
Back at Masandawana, more responsibilities landed on his shoulders after Pitso Mosimane left for Al Ahly.
Mokwena became co-coach with Manqoba Mngqithi while Steve Komphela was appointed senior coach.
“You look at Barcelona, they offer a specific product to their supporters,” Mokwena said.
“We try to work this way [at Sundowns] consistently because at big clubs, that is the right way of doing things, not fast track processes – a certain way of playing that will give you success and results.
“Not only that, but results and success that you know you can sustain in the future. A team can stay as a big team and have the profile of a big team, not in regards to success, but because of their style of play.”
Source: Goal
