Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Pitso Mosimane, says he is still adjusting at his new club Al Ahly in Egypt, since joining them in late September.
In his short tenure in North Africa, Mosimane has already won two trophies – the league title and the CAF Champions League.
The 56-year-old former Bafana Bafana coach addressed a news conference hosted by the South African Football Journalists’ Association on Thursday.
Hit the ground running in Egypt
Mosimane has hit the ground running in the tough Egyptian Premier League. He now has a realistic chance of guiding Al Ahly to a treble after only a few months in his job.
Just a month after arriving in Cairo, Mosimane won the league title, before claiming the CAF Champions League title after beating traditional rivals, Zamalek, at the Cairo International Stadium.
The victory ended Al Ahly’s seven-year wait for a record ninth Champions League title.
Arrived. Promised. Conquered. ❤️?
?@TheRealPitso ??#ItsNine pic.twitter.com/qlocwj5Bt8
— Al Ahly SC ?? (@AlAhlyEnglish) November 27, 2020
Mosimane’s dream of winning the treble in his debut season has increased after reaching the final of the Egyptian Cup on Tuesday.
“Thank God, things have gone the right way. We haven’t lost a game up till now … we don’t jinx ourselves and we have received the least number of goals. I like to play a little bit conservative. If I feel like we have to close the game I close it. And if I feel we have to turn the volume up and move on, and we have scored goals beautiful an average of two goals per game.”
Mosimane won the treble with Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa last season, before joining Al Ahly.
He expects the Brazilians to continue dominating local football after he helped them recruit their latest signings such as strikers Kermit Erasmus and Peter Shalulile.
“I know how I got Kermit Erasmus at Sundowns. I signed all those players. All of those players I have signed at Sundowns, Shalulile, everybody and I made sure that I leave the team in a better place. I don’t want anyway who comes to Sundowns to say when I left to say I have to start again. No, I left everything, everything you see at Sundowns, I left it as is.”
Ngcongca’s death
Mosimane was very emotional when he spoke about the death of former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Anele Ngcongca. He died in a car accident in KwaZulu-Natal late last month.
Mosimane personally recruited Ngcongca to join Sundowns back in 2016 after he spent about 10 years in Belgium playing for Genk.
“I have that relationship with Anele, you know, he never played in Premier League in South Africa and I went to Belgium to fetch him to bring him to play for South Africa and I brought him to play for Mamelodi Sundowns. When he came back, the first week, he got injured and he was out for four to five months and I became patient with him. What a player, what an experienced player. We used him in the champions league in big games.”
CAF presidency
Mosimane also believes Sundowns’ president, Patrice Motsepe, has what it takes to bring about change within the administration of the Confederation of African Football.
Motsepe is one of four candidates vying for CAF’s presidency, with the elections earmarked for March next year.
“I know the continent. I know what is happening. I know what’s happening in the Champions League, but I don’t know what’s happening in football administration. That’s my weak side. I’m not sure about that level. But I think a successful person like him should be able to be given an opportunity to lead football”.
Mosimane also revealed that Al Ahly are still interested in signing Sundowns forward Gaston Sirino.
According to Mosimane, the Egyptian club has always been a big admirer of Sirino, even when he was still coaching the Pretoria-based club.
Its Home….☝️??#CHAM9IONS pic.twitter.com/TYFaXhhbr1
— Al Ahly SC ?? (@AlAhlyEnglish) November 29, 2020
