South Africa: Mosimane to coach Egyptian giants Al Ahly
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Leading South African football coach Pitso Mosimane on Wednesday confirmed he will leave League champions Mamelodi Sundowns after a glittering career.
This comes despite the fact that the 56-year-old recently signed a new four-year deal after delivering the domestic treble to the Pretoria team.
He has secured a new position as coach of Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
"Mamelodi Sundowns has been my family for almost eight years. Dr Patrice Motsepe (chairman) has been like a father to me. He has been a mentor, a friend, a supporter and a confidante. I could never quit him or Mamelodi Sundowns," said.
He noted that the Egyptian offer is a huge opportunity for him that would not have come had he not had the privilege to be part of the team that led Mamelodi Sundowns in winning the CAF Champions League and reaching the Club World Cup finals.
Mosimane is one of the longest serving and highly rated coaches in South African football, having won several major trophies with SuperSport United between 2001 and 2007.
He served as the caretaker coach of South Africa for seven games during 2007, before Carlos Alberto Parreira was appointed as head coach.
In July 2010, Mosimane was named as the new head coach of South Africa.
He won his first game in charge in a 1–0 win over World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana. South Africa failed to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations after Mosimane mistakenly played for a draw in the final qualifier, when in fact a victory was required.
In December 2016, Mosimane was ranked as the 10th best coach in the world for 2016, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
-0- PANA CU/AR 30Sept2020
