Cassius Mailula was believed to be on the verge of reuniting with his former coach Rulani Mokwena at MC Alger, but recent developments have taken a different turn.
The 24-year-old was reportedly close to joining the Algerian side, currently managed by former Mamelodi Sundowns boss Mokwena, for the upcoming season.
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Mailula recently parted ways with Wydad Athletic Club following the end of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. He had been on loan at the Moroccan club from Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC.
Having previously worked with Mokwena at Wydad before the coach's departure, Mailula was widely expected to follow him to MC Alger. With Toronto FC reportedly having no future plans for the player, a permanent move to Algeria seemed imminent.
However, according to a report by Africa Foot, the potential transfer has now collapsed. The two clubs had reportedly initially agreed on a fee, but Toronto unexpectedly raised the price at the final stages of negotiations.
This last-minute change was reportedly unacceptable to Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 giants, who were left frustrated by the decision and subsequently pulled out of the deal.
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Despite the breakdown, Mailula's future still looks promising. He enjoyed a standout 2024/25 season with Wydad and is not expected to struggle in securing a new club, especially with several leagues around the world already underway.
Efforts by KickOff to get a comment from Mailula’s representative were unsuccessful.
