Wydad Athletic Club coach Rulani Mokwena has conceded planning for Botola Pro League fixtures is not as easy as he would have loved it to be.
As opposed to the Premier Soccer League, the league organisers in Morocco decide the dates and times of fixtures on a weekly basis. It is something Mokwena was used to during his time in Mzansi.
“I really think the [PSL and Botola Pro League] are not so far apart, I think from an organisational perspective, and this is in terms of the league, it’s very difficult to periodize your season if you don’t have the full outline of the fixtures from the start to the beginning,” he told the media.
“I understand why in Morocco it’s not used, but I think from a periodization and planning perspective it’s so key, knowing which opponent you will play in two weeks’ time, three weeks’ time.”
Mokwena advises Botola Pro League on where to improve
“It allows you for a tactical periodization because you know if you’ve got Raja in two weeks, or six weeks, you know how to prepare your team in the theme and a tactical perspective because, to prepare two or three days before the game is impossible.
“But to prepare if you have pre-season, even using other games, you will know when the team needs to peak, because of course every single game is important but there are some games that are more important than others.
“And knowing when those games are going to be played, what cycle, what part of the season you’re going to be in – by the time you play those games, it’s of crucial importance and I think that’s probably one of the things that we have in South Africa, that maybe in Morocco is something you can improve,” Mokwena added.
What Mzansi should learn from Morocco
Mokwena further challenged the PSL to invest in youngsters, “I think South Africa can learn a thing or two about the investment in facilities, investment in football structures, in the youth, in the game as a whole, not just the matches, the usage of VAR is still something not used in South Africa.
“There’s a lot of very good things; both have good spaces and very difficult to be critical of the one and be critical at the other because in life you can’t be good at everything. I have my weaknesses too and it’s about always seeing which areas you can improve and get better – but the level of investment in the Botola is amazing.
“The game here can grow in leaps and bounds because it’s just small tweaks in organisational forms and I think the Botola can become one of the best leagues in the world, not just in Africa, but the world,” Mokwena concluded.
