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The former Mamelodi Sundowns manager may become the third man since 1965 to win the continent’s biggest club competition with two different teams.
With his insatiable thirst to win, former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is about to add another high praise to his collection as he leads his Al Ahly team into battle in the Caf Champions League final. against Zamalek on Friday night.
Having already established himself as South Africa’s most successful manager by eclipsing all four league titles won by Gordon Igesund and Gavin Hunt, it was not surprising to see him relish the opportunity to prove himself with Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
While some may argue that Igesund and Hunt won some of their titles with teams with fewer resources than the Sundowns, what sets Mosimane apart, apart from his five league titles and numerous national cups with Downs, is that he has also conquered Africa, when he led Masandawana to the 2016 Caf Champions League title.
He is now just 90 minutes away from adding even more to his legend, provided Al Ahly can beat their bitter Egyptian rivals Zamalek. Of course, it was Zamalek that Mosimane’s Sundowns team beat 3-1 in two games in the 2016 Champions League final.
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Increased status of South Africa
There is no doubt that African football is dominated by countries from the west and the north. The only exception is the central Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has also had many successes in the Champions League.
But since the tournament began 55 years ago, Mosimane remains one of only two South African-born coaches to have won it. The other was Zambian Ronald Mkhandawire, who was briefly with the Orlando Pirates and was in charge when they won in 1995. Otherwise, they have been almost entirely coaches from North and West Africa, as well as a good number from Europe and South America. who have won. that.
Portuguese coach Manuel José holds the record with four titles, all at Al Ahly, who have won it eight times (three more than the next most successful team, Zamalek).
No other coach has won the Champions League more than twice, and only two coaches, Argentine Oscar Fullone (also a former Sundowns coach) and Egyptian Mahmoud El-Gohary, have done so with two different clubs.
Meanwhile, South African football, for all its comparative riches, hasn’t had much to boast about in the past 25 years: the Pirates’ victory in the 1995 Champions League, the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, and Sundowns’ win in 2016 were the country’s only real wins. great African hits.
So it will be a significant victory for this country if Mosimane can claim another victory, and many South Africans will support Al Ahly on Friday night.
What makes Mosimane so good?
For starters, as mentioned above, your appetite for success and your burning desire to be the best.
“I eat, drink and sleep soccer,” he once said in an interview with New frame
“I like to win, even if it’s a friendly match. Guys know that I get mad when we lose a friendly match because I don’t want bad habits. People should know that we play to win. It is a culture. You must win! They know. I can’t bear to lose. I work very hard and I want the people around me to have the same mentality. “
Then there is your personality. A bit like José Mourinho, Mosimane can be a thorny character. There is an element of ego and arrogance in him and he has had problems with opposition coaches and the media in the past.
But there is also a sometimes cheeky and dry sense of humor in the man and it has probably softened a bit with age; Mosimane is self-aware: his comments are often calculated and he knows exactly what he is doing.
However, it often takes some arrogance to be successful at the highest levels.
“I’m like that because of the way I grew up,” Mosimane said in the same interview. “They told me to say what I thought. My son [Rea] he’s here and he’s always asking questions. I have told him that you should always have a ‘why?’
“You must be curious. My son is always touching and opening things to see what’s inside. I’m not shy to start something. I know it can backfire, but I’ll start it. I play how I want to play and everyone says we’ll see where this thing will end up. As long as I can back it up, that’s fine. “
Player management
Yet at the same time, he has a soft touch when it comes to his players, and there is no question that Mosimane has succeeded in one of the main fundamentals of training: improving individual players.
Percy Tau, Keagan Dolly, Khama Billiat, Denis Onyango, Hlompho Kekana, Themba Zwane and Gaston Sirino are just a few examples of players whose careers have flourished greatly under former midfielder Jomo Cosmos.
“Khama will tell you about Pitso, the man molds you to be the best,” he said earlier in an interview with the late Anele Ngcongca, who was tragically killed in a car accident earlier this week. Far Post.
“Sure, he (Khama) was good, but Pitso is the type of coach who takes a good player and makes him a world champion.”
And it is not only on the field that Mosimane puts his work, numerous stories have emerged of his care and thought for the well-being of players in their home environments.
“It changed the lives of many players both in football and in society,” said former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Method Mwanjali. objective.
“He never sleeps when it comes to football, hence his achievements.”
One thing is for sure, Mosimane’s appetite for success will not be quenched by Friday night’s victory and it will be fascinating to see where the 56-year-old coaching journey takes him in the next decade – could it even be to Europe? , or maybe you could get another chance at work Bafana Bafana one day.
