South African coaches Rulani Mokwena and Steve Barker have received another major boost to their coaching careers after being named Coach of the Month in Egypt and Tanzania respectively. The two tacticians have been rewarded for their impressive performances during October, with both continuing to enjoy excellent starts at their respective clubs.

Mokwena, who is currently in charge of Egyptian giants Pyramids FC, has maintained an outstanding winning record since taking over the team. The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has won all 14 matches he has managed so far, making an immediate impact at the club.

Eight of those victories have come in the Egyptian Premier League, where Pyramids have been particularly impressive. The team's perfect start has earned Mokwena the Coach of the Month award for the second consecutive month, further highlighting his influence since arriving in Egypt.

According to the Egyptian Professional Football Association, Mokwena was recognised after winning all eight of his league matches during the period under review. The organisation pointed out that he was the only manager to achieve a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches.

This latest achievement adds to the positive results Mokwena has recorded since leaving South African football. His previous experience at Mamelodi Sundowns helped establish his reputation as one of the country's recognised coaches, and he is now continuing to build his profile in North Africa.

While Mokwena is enjoying success in Egypt, Barker is also making headlines in Tanzania after receiving recognition for his work with Simba SC.

The former Stellenbosch FC coach was named Coach of the Month by the NPA Premier League following an impressive October campaign. Like Pyramids, Simba have enjoyed a perfect start to their league season, winning all 10 of their matches so far.

Barker's team played three league matches during October, securing victories in all of them. One of the biggest results was a 2-1 victory over Young Africans in the Kariakoo Derby, a highly anticipated fixture between two of Tanzania's biggest football clubs.

Simba continued their winning run with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Mashujaa FC. They then completed their October campaign with a 1-0 win against Fountain Gate.

Those three victories gave Barker an impressive record of nine goals scored and only two conceded during the month. His team's performances were enough to secure him the monthly coaching award.

The achievements of Mokwena and Barker are encouraging news for South African football, particularly as both coaches are proving their abilities in competitive African leagues outside the country.

Their success also comes at a time when South African coaches are looking for opportunities to establish themselves beyond the domestic game. Mokwena is building an impressive record with Pyramids, while Barker is enjoying a successful beginning to his time at Simba.

For both coaches, the next challenge will be maintaining their teams' winning momentum and competing for honours as the season progresses.

Their latest awards provide further recognition of the work they have done, with Mokwena securing back-to-back monthly accolades and Barker adding his name to the list of South African coaches achieving success abroad.

Source: IDiskiTimes