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Former Mamelodi Sundowns strategist failed to inspire the Cairo giants against the European champions in his second tournament appearance.
Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane remains proud of his team despite a 2-0 defeat in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final to Bayern Munich, when the Red Devils were eliminated by the champions of Europe.
A Robert Lewandowski double sent the Bavarians to the final of the tournament in what was Mosimane’s first loss while in charge of the Egyptians in 23 matches.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns manager doesn’t see the loss as a major setback in what is his second chance at the tournament, having overseen the Brazilians’ campaign in Japan in 2016.
“Our reaction should have been better than what happened. Bayern Munich dominated the game in a significant way, “Mosimane told the media. “We knew that facing Bayern Munich was not easy at all and we played well against a big and strong team.
“There was scope to choose the best way to keep the ball, take possession and come out of the attack against Bayern Munich, but this is not bad,” he added. “We could have had a corner kick or a foul in our favor, we should have reacted better even at the beginning of the second half.
“Our pace was slow, but it’s not bad and there’s nothing wrong with that. No coach can lose and be happy. It’s normal for me to feel sad.”
Al Ahly are now preparing to face Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras in the fight for the bronze medal on Thursday.
The Egyptians previously finished third in this tournament when they settled for bronze in 2006.
“We are now looking forward to third place against Palmeiras,” continued Mosimane. “We will work hard and fight to achieve it.
“My team was not afraid of Bayern Munich, who are European champions, but at the same time we achieved a good level [of performance], especially in terms of defense.
Bayern is number one in Europe. They didn’t let us have the ball for a long time. We rarely got a chance to play our game. Defensively, we were well organized. Now we look forward to the match for third place. “
With Al Ahly not reaching the final, Africa’s wait for the Club World Cup title continues.
