African Football Shakes Up: Rulani Mokwena Takes Helm at Major Club

South African football coaches Rulani Mokwena and Eric Tinkler have been confirmed as the new head coaches for former African club champions Pyramids FC of Egypt and Asante Kotoko of Ghana, respectively. Both appointments are set for the upcoming 2026/27 season, marking significant moves in the African club football landscape.

Rulani Mokwena, 39, takes the reins at Pyramids FC, who are the reigning CAF Champions League winners from the 2024/25 season. He steps into the role previously held by Croat Krunoslav Jurčić, who guided Pyramids to their first-ever CAF Champions League title and further domestic success. Mokwena’s primary objectives with the Egyptian giants will be to secure the CAF Champions League title once again and to win the Egypt Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Pyramids FC, often referred to as the Sundowns or Manchester City of Egypt, was founded in 2008 as Al Assiouty Sport and earned its first promotion to the Egyptian Premier League in 2014.

Mokwena's coaching career has seen a varied path since leaving Tshwane giants Mamelodi Sundowns in 2024. He experienced mixed fortunes with other North African teams, including a challenging spell at Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Al Ittihad of Libya, where he failed to achieve qualification for the CAF Champions League. He also departed Mouloudia Alger just before they clinched the national league title. His recent seven-month tenure with Al Ittihad Tripoli came to an early end due to irreconcilable differences over the club’s transfer policy and long-term strategy, with Mokwena reportedly believing that promises made regarding recruitment and the sporting project could not be fulfilled. Pyramids FC had reportedly monitored Mokwena for two years, showing initial interest after his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns and revisiting the move following his time with Wydad Athletic Club.

Meanwhile, 55-year-old Eric Tinkler, a distinguished former combative midfielder for the South Africa national team, will lead Ghana’s Asante Kotoko. Tinkler was a key member of the Bafana Bafana squad that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the nation’s sole major post-apartheid success. As a coach, he came closest to continental glory by finishing as CAF Confederation Cup runners-up with Orlando Pirates in 2015 and SuperSport United two years later. Tinkler has coached six top-flight clubs, most recently leaving Sekhukhune United as the 2025/26 South African season concluded.

Asante Kotoko, known as the Porcupines, boast a rich history in African club football, having won the Champions League – then known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs – in 1970 and 1983. However, they also hold the unwanted record of being losing finalists five times. The Ghanaian club failed to qualify for African competitions for the upcoming season, finishing eighth in their domestic league, 13 points behind champions Medeama.