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Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane spoke about the CAF Champions League final and the strong relationship between his current club and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Mosimane led the Red Devils to their ninth CAF Champions League title and their first since 2013 after their 2-1 victory over Zamalek in the final.
READ: My heart stopped during the game, says Pitso after the victory in the End of the Century
The two Egyptian soccer giants met in a historic final on Friday at the Cairo International Stadium, with the Reds eyeing their ninth title, while Zamalek was eager to win their first Champions League title since 2002.
Amr El-Sulya put the Reds ahead with a header in the fifth minute, before Shikabala leveled for the Whites after a magnificent solo career.
With the score tied at 1-1, Mohamed Magdy Afsha found the back of Abo Gabal’s net with a spectacular long-range volley as Al Ahly clinched their ninth CAF Champions League title.
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Pitso Mosimane spoke about the pressure he endured during the match and how he pushed the team to win.
“You have to understand the situation you are in. I came to coach a great team in a very critical period and that’s why I couldn’t start everything from scratch but I had to start implementing my ideas little by little,” Pitso said. To Ahly TV.
“You also have to listen to the people around you and try to see and listen to everyone and respect their culture and religion and make them accept you. Then you share with them your vision and your style of play.
“All things should be done rationally and you shouldn’t just sell people an idea or a dream. You have to be precise and know their strengths and weaknesses to correct them.
“The main question we asked ourselves was why hasn’t the club won this trophy in the last seven years? And after the first 45 minutes the team wasn’t sure if we would win the game, which is a normal feeling considering we haven’t won it in seven years.
“Of course I was nervous, but when you fly a plane and face some challenges, you can’t show the passengers how you really feel because they depend on you.
“I let Mohamed El-Shennawy talk to the players during the break. His speech was powerful and effective, while I waited in another room because he understands their culture and they will understand what he is saying. My role is to talk about the technical aspects, “he added.
READ: El-Shahat reveals the reason behind the fight for the final whistle
Pitso Mosimane then spoke about the strong relationship between his former club and Al Ahly.
“I think at least half of the Mamelodi Sundowns fans now support Al Ahly due to the strong relationship between the two clubs,” he continued.
“Once we knocked out Al Ahly and they did too, but both games were played with a lot of spirit and a great atmosphere.
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“Credit should go to South Africa for producing good coaches.
“Soccer must be played with respect and good spirit, and this creates an atmosphere of understanding between the two teams.
“Al Ahly fans went to the Mamelodi Sundowns Stadium and there were no problems and the same can be said when the South African fans arrived in Egypt.
“South Africa has a lot of respect for Al Ahly and understands its value, and we always ask ourselves, why hasn’t Al Ahly won the trophy lately?
“We know the value of Al Ahly players like Sayed Abdelhafiz, Wael Gomaa and Mohamed Aboutrika.
“I don’t know why Al Ahly couldn’t win, but we had to change some things and that’s what I told the players.
“We had to work differently from the last seven years to achieve what we had not previously achieved,” he concluded.
The South African manager could win the treble in his first season in charge of Al Ahly, as he could face Zamalek in a week in another crucial final as they both reached the semi-finals of the Egyptian Cup.
The whites will face Tala’a El-Geish while the reds will host the Ittihad of Alexandria.
