‘I had to Pay Players and Staff’ - Rulani Mokwena Exposes Deep Financial Problems at African Giants

Rulani Mokwena endured lots of difficulties on and off the pitch at Wydad AC. Photo: Imago

‘I had to Pay Players and Staff’ - Rulani Mokwena Exposes Deep Financial Problems at African Giants

Joel Omotto 12:20 - 10.06.2025

Rulani Mokwena has lifted the lid on how badly Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca were doing financially when he joined to the extent he used his own money to help them.

South African coach Rulani Mokwena has shared some of the problems that he experienced at Moroccan side Wydad Athletics Club during his nine-month stay.

Mokwena parted ways with Wydad in May after falling out of favour with some members of the club’s hierarchy as well as a section of fans and he has maintained that his departure, nine months into a three-year contract, was not down to performance.

The 38-year-old highly-rated coach has lifted the lid on some of the behind-the-scenes issues that made his position untenable, revealing how he felt hurt that his loyalty to the club was questioned, yet he even used his own resources to help Wydad.

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“I had no issues with pressure, with phycological breakdown and all these things. I was prepared to step down because there was a lot of talk,” Mokwena said during an interview with radio host Robert Marawa on Marawa Sports Worldwide.

Mokwena Used His Own Money to Pay Help Wydad

Rulani Mokwena used his money to pay some players and staff at Wydad. Photo: Imago

“I remember one day I said to the president, I cannot take it when I invest so much, I work so hard to bring so many of the players, almost all of them for free,” he added, explaining how he had to even pay some players and coaching staff since the club had been cash-strapped when he arrived.

“I have to sometimes from my own pocket pay some of the players, pay some of the staff, go and buy training equipment from my own pocket, invest in the club and then I have a vice president of the club asking me ‘do you love this club’?” he said.

“I would never subject myself to some of the things that happened and that is why I said to the president, maybe there is a misalignment somewhere and It would be better for me to step down because I could hear, ‘all he wants is to go play Club World Cup with Pep Guardiola and walk out’.”

Mokwena’s Wydad finished third this season, an improvement from the sixth place of 2023-24, and are due to feature at the FIFA Club World Cup which the tactician had been hoping to lead his team to as they are in the same group with Manchester City, coached by his idol Pep Guardiola.

Wydad, however, seem to have gotten over their financial problems as they have made some big-money signings ahead of the Club World Cup among them Stephane Aziz Ki from Yanga and Nordin Amrabat.