"I'm not happy, you can feel my emotion" - Pitso Mosimane on Rulani Mokwena

Speaking to SABC Sport on the sidelines of the Engen Knockout Challenge at Marks Park in Johannesburg, Mosimane, who promoted Mokwena to be his assistant at Sundowns in 2014, says he really feels for Mokwena.

The 37-year-old parted ways amicably with the Brazilians last week, just only after a season into his new four-year contract as a head coach.

"So now, the sad part is he's let go at Sundowns, I'm not happy, you can feel my emotion. I'm not pretending, I just feel bad for him. Sundowns is a big club, Sundowns will sort themselves out. Sundowns is not about Pitso, Sundowns is not about Rulani, coaches come and go," said Mosimane.

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Mosimane’s arrival at Sundowns in 2012 ended a spell of European coaches who came to the club and failed to win a single trophy in four years from 2008 to 2012.

He looks back with pride at the work they managed to do after FC Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov, former French national team coach Henri Michel, Spanish coach Antonio Habas, and Dutch legend Johan Neeskens failed to deliver a trophy to Chloorkop.

"Sundowns has had guys from Real Madrid, Sundowns went to Barcelona to get Hristo Stoichkov, you can go everywhere. Michel a coach in France, Henri Michel. Big, big legends that, I never played at that, okay. Fortunately, we managed to put Sundowns together and I think it has been successful," he added.

When Mosimane started winning the league in 2013, he ushered in a new era of dominance by local coaches at Sundowns, which has seen them win nine league titles in the last 11 years.

He says together with Mokwena and coach Manqoba Mngqithi they turned this around.

"I get emotional with this thing of Rulani because I know Rulani.

You have been there on my journey with Rulani. I was so humbled and appreciated that a little bit of contribution that I put when I came to Mamelodi Sundowns, I brought over coach Manqoba, I brought over coach Rulani that they must help me in the process of building and making a better team that can compete in the continent that was the vision and I think we can all say that we've achieved that vision. We need to give credit to the people who contributed.

“I didn't do it alone, I had them on my side as my generals, my assistants to help me and they've helped me."