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The 56-year-old has yet to lose a match while in charge of the Egyptian giants and points out the tactical changes he made
Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has likened the philosophy he introduced to Al Ahly to a review of the system on a computer by installing “new software.”
Mosimane says he came to the Cairo giants in September and found them playing what he considers a brand of soccer that is only good enough for domestic soccer, but not robust enough to hand them the Caf Champions League.
At the time of their appointment, Al Ahly had four Egyptian Premier League matches and were in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The reigning African champions had already won the league title mathematically under their predecessor Rene Weiler and Mosimane refuses to take credit for his Premier League triumph.
“You could say that it was probably easier for me because the league was already won‚ and there were only five games left. But it’s not like that, because at this level, at this stage, the results are very important, ”Mosimane told the South African Association of Soccer Journalists according to Sowetan Live.
“And you could say that the team was already in the semifinals of the Champions League. It was, but to get there, I had to win all [league] games between the semifinals. And if you lose all of those, you know the story.
“Those league games were pressure games for me because everyone wanted to see, ‘Can we trust this guy? Who is this guy? The pressure is to keep winning. I had to start my own journey, and you start your journey by winning games and showing the difference and what you are contributing.
“So I changed the way we play, I changed the format, I changed the principles. I put my software. And to put your software, you have to get rid of the software that is inside. It’s like you’re cleaning the laptop, and putting in a whole new system, and you have to tell people how to apply that software and teach them how to do it. “
Mosimane has yet to taste defeat in the nine matches Al Ahly has been in charge of, winning eight and drawing one in all competitions.
It was in the Caf Champions League where Mosimane was most impressive.
Beating Wydad Casablanca at home and away in the semi-finals touched the hearts of Al Ahly fans and, as Zamalek’s old foes were fired 2-1 in the final, he was fully embraced not only in Egypt, but in North Africa as a whole.
He says he had to do it by having Al Ahly play like his old team, the Mamelodi Sundowns.
“So I put out what the league won, and everyone is like, ‘Why are you changing now?’ I said ‘No’ because I need you to play differently, because the way you played to win the league I don’t think is the right way to win the Champions League, ‘”Mosimane said.
“I said, ‘Yeah, you can win the league that way’ because you already won the league anyway. But the Champions League is completely different. And we cannot follow the same path that you have been doing for the last seven years without winning the Champions League. ‘
“And when you do that, people just look at you to say ‘What is this guy doing now?’ So I said, ‘I’m bringing the way Sundowns plays’ and you said you liked the way Sundowns plays.’ I said, ‘This is what I’m bringing to the table. You like me?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, we liked it.’
In addition to finishing the league race first and winning the Champions League, Al Ahly have reached the final of the Egyptian Cup, which could possibly further decorate the beginning of Mosimane’s life in Cairo.
