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Pitso Mosimane’s departure from Mamelodi Sundowns shocked the football fraternity and surprised many Mamelodi Sundowns fans.
Mosimane left Sundowns after signing a four-year contract with the club in May.
In an interview on Saturday, Mosimane compared joining Egyptian club Al Ahly to the opportunity to coach “Real Madrid or Barcelona in Europe.”
He said his move to one of the biggest clubs in Africa will show local coaches that the possibilities are endless.
Here are five things you need to know about the Mosimane startup:
So who is this Al Ahly?
According to Britannica, Al Ahly is an Egyptian football club based in Cairo. It was initially formed as a high school boys’ sports club in 1907, with Mitchel Ince as its first president. The club is among the largest and most supported soccer clubs in Africa.
Yes, but have they won anything?
The club’s players are known as the “red devils” for their red jerseys and impeccable soccer skills. They were also awarded the title of “African Club of the Century” by the African Football Confederation (CAF) in 2000, but they have won many more.
- The club won the Sultan Hussein Cup seven times between 1917 and 1938, the last year it was contested.
- They won the inaugural league title of the Egyptian Premier League in the 1948/49 season, only losing for the first time in 1960.
- Al Ahly has won 41 Egyptian league championships, including eight in a row from the 2004/5 season.
- In 1982, the club won its first African Champions League title, winning it six times.
Mosimane was a firm favorite
A TimesLIVE report claims that Al Ahly had long been looking at Mosimane, whom he became close after winning the tenth title of prime minister from Mamelodi Sundowns in September. The club reportedly had its eyes on Italy too Luciano Spalleti, but Mosimane had a great admirer in the club’s president, Mohmoud El Khatib.
A source who spoke to TimesLIVE said Mosimane’s move to Al Ahly made him the first black African coach to lead one of the “best clubs in North Africa.”
Who is Mosimane replacing?
Mosimane replaced Swiss coach Rene Weiler, who reportedly has a job in Europe. He joined the club in August 2019 and replaced Patrice Carteron, according to Kingfut. Weiler secured two titles for the club last season, namely the Egyptian Super Cup and the Egyptian Premier League.
When is your first game?
Objective. Com reports that he began working with Al Ahly on Friday to prepare the team for the Egyptian Premier League match against Al Mokawloon on Sunday. A match they won 1-0.
