Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has been arrested in Algeria for allegedly attempting to smuggle a significant amount of undeclared currency.
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Rulani Mokwena, who used to coach the Mamelodi Sundowns, was arrested at an airport in Algeria recently and given a two-month suspended prison sentence.
The South African coach had just left Algerian team MC Alger when he was arrested on Sunday. Authorities say he tried to leave the country with reportedly R307 000 that he hadn't properly declared.
Mokwena was released shortly after his arrest. An Algerian journalist later told Thabiso Mosia on Radio2000 that the matter proceeded through the legal system, with a court ultimately finding him guilty of breaching the country’s strict currency regulations.
The suspended sentence means he will not serve jail time unless he commits a similar offence within a specified period, allowing him to continue his professional career without immediate restriction.
The ruling brings clarity to what has been a turbulent few days for the 39-year-old, whose sudden exit from MC Alger had already raised questions before news of his arrest emerged.
Mokwena is now expected to be unveiled as the new head coach of Libyan giants Al Ittihad, in a deal reportedly set to make him one of the highest-paid coaches in Africa.
Even with the legal matter now settled, the incident marks a dramatic end to Mokwena’s brief stint in Algeria and sets the stage for a fresh chapter in Libya, where attention will quickly shift from the controversy to whether he can deliver success on the pitch.
IOL Sport