Al Ahly reveal how they got Pitso Mosimane signed as manager
How Pitso Mosimane was appointed at Egyptian Premier League outfits Al Ahly has been revealed by insider from the Reds.
The South African trainer had long been on the radar of the Cairo based side but was only appointed the club’s manager 3 months ago.
Mosimane’s appointment seems to bring light in camp of the Egyptian giants, guiding them to a treble of the Egyptian Premier League, Egyptian Cup and the Caf Champions League thought much credits may go to former Reds boss Rene Weiler who Mosimane replaced later the season.
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The former Sundowns boss led Ahly to a strong league start after thrashing Misr El Makkasa 3-1 in Sunday evening and there appears a growing curiosity about how Mosimane ended up at Cairo.
Al Ahly president Mahmoud El Khatib sat with Al Ahly official website revealing every bit it took the club to bring in the South African International.
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The President revealed that Weilers willingness to leave Ahly in pandemic era prompted decision to find a replacement for the Swiss International.
And while Ahly’s huge consideration to Europe and South America, Mosimane fought off stiffer competition from Czech Republic and Argentina interests to become favorite for the job due to his experience in Africa.
Ahly then contacted Mosimane over a possible switch to Egypt and the tactician showed passionate interest to coach the reigning Caf Champions League winners.
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Whiles still under contract at Mamelodi Sundowns, Ahly would have to successfully pass through Sundowns’ approval to let their manager leave the club.
“We felt that Weiler wanted to leave the club amid COVID-19 pandemic. Also, there was a ten-day period in his contract allowing both parties to terminate the contract without a penalty clause,” the former Egypt international explained.
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“I met with Weiler and told him that we need stability in the team but he asked for a vacation to visit his family. I asked him to renew his contract but he was not clear so I rejected his request as the time was not appropriate.
“I felt that Weiler did now want to continue with the team and he refused to renew his contract so I held a meeting with the planning committee and discussed the alternatives with Zakaria Nassef and Mohsen Saleh.
“We had many candidates from Czech Republic and Argentina, but I suggested searching for a head coach who has much experience in Africa. We started thinking out of the box and Mosimane was among our top four candidates for the job.
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“Mosimane had the strongest resume as he is a very good coach and faced many challenges with the teams he coached. He was in charge of Mamelodi Sundowns for eight years and renewed his contract for another five years.
“When we became sure that Mosimane suits us, I contacted him and he was happy with our offer, and his desire played a great role in the negotiations.
“We informed him that he must have an approval from Sundowns President to complete the deal as we followed the legal channels to keep our strong relationship with Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Mosimane sent us a written approval and signed his contract. We waited until Sundowns announced their approval on Mosimane’s departure then we signed the contract.
“I have a great relationship with Sundowns’ President, who is a well-respected personality, and we met on many occasions at CAF meetings. I wanted to make sure about his approval as we always seek to keep our strong relationship with other clubs.”
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