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Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says he is saddened by the recent departure of Milutin Sredojevic but has backed Rulani Mokwena to fill the shoes of the departed Orlando Pirates coach.
Mokwena and his players had a night to forget on Saturday as Highlands Park clinched a 1-0 victory to book their place in the MTN8 semi-finals, with Wayde Jooste's 82nd-minute goal doing the damage.
It was Mokwena's first game in charge following the shock departure of Sredojevic, and Mosimane has backed his former apprentice to "be better than me in the future".
"I've sent Rulani a text to wish him luck," Mosimane told Daily Sun. "He's been looking for an opportunity. Now he must just fly.
"I've said long ago, when he was next to me, that he's going to be better than me in future. But he still has to travel the road."
Mosimane continued: "He must never worry about the loss (MTN8) because it's part of football. They'll always be there. He must never worry.
"I've lost three games in a row, and I know how it feels when you lose three.
"Everybody starts to talk, start to write you off... everybody finds mistakes. He'll calm down. I'll talk to him if I have to. But I don't want to interfere.
"But my advice is losses are part of the game. It's part of growth.
"I just hope it won't be a situation where people start saying, 'You see, we told you, he won't make it as a head coach'. Like Seema (Lehlohonolo of Bloemfontein Celtic) is being given a chance. He must."
Pirates will have precious little time to dwell on Saturday's defeat as they return to action in the Premiership on Tuesday night with a trip to AmaZulu.
