Istanbul / Ahmed Hasan / Anadolu

Egyptian club Pyramids, the 2024 CAF Champions League winner, appointed South African Rulani Mokwena as the new head coach on Friday, succeeding Croatian Krunoslav Jurčić, who left his post after a golden period with the club.

The Egyptian club said via its account on the American platform Facebook: 'A new beginning full of ambition... Welcome, Rulani Mokwena... Welcome to your new home.'

The South African coach (39 years old) has a distinguished coaching record in Africa, having previously led South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, and Algeria's MC Alger, with his most recent stint being with Libya's Al-Ittihad Club.

During his career, Mokwena has won several titles, most notably the African Football League with Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2023/2024 season, along with four South African league titles, and he also won the Algerian Super Cup with MC Alger.

Egyptian fans know Mokwena well, as he was the key figure in one of the most famous CAF Champions League matches in recent years, when he led Sundowns to a 5-2 victory over Al-Ahly on March 11, 2023, in the only match in which Al-Ahly conceded five goals.

It is worth noting that Pyramids terminated the contract of its coach Jurčić at the end of last season after he led the team in 132 matches, winning 89, drawing 25, and losing 18 since taking over in February 2024.

The Croatian coach led Pyramids to win the CAF Champions League, the Egypt Cup (twice), the CAF Super Cup, and the Three Continents Cup, and also finished Pyramids as runners-up in the Egyptian Premier League for the past two seasons.