Pitso Mosimane aspires for African greatness

Viola NANKYA

Coach Pitso Mosimane is firmly marking his name in African football. The South African tactician will lead Egyptian giants, Al Ahly in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League against Wydad Athletic Club on Monday at the Mohammed V Stadium.

Mosimane has his eyes cast on leading the Egyptian giants to their third consecutive title and 11th overall. But, Mosimane also has the possibility of equaling Manuel Jose’s record of winning four Champions League titles as coach.

The Portuguese tactician won the Champions League title with Ahly in 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Mosimane on the other hand won with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 and has been behind Ahly’s last two continental titles.

“It’s an honour, a privilege and its historical for our club to make a third cup final in a row because we have never made it. Even though we had made a lot of cup finals but we had never made it three times in a row. As much as it is important for the history of the club, we are not really fixated in that, we are fixated in the match,” Mosimane said ahead of Monday’s final.

He adds; “Because what is the point of making the third final in a row and you don’t win it? Our mind is not on that, our mind is on winning the cup final. Of course we acknowledge that we have made the third cup final in a row and it’s a big step because no team does that.”

A tough disciplinarian, a deep researcher and one who truly believes in his methods, Mosimane dipped himself into the deep end when he left Sundowns to take charge of Ahly in the 2019-20 season.

Of course, his appointment shook African football and most questioned the ‘risk’ he was taking. The tactician has proved his doubters wrong and endeared himself even further to the Ahly faithful when he guided them to La Ashara, their 10th continental title.

He was rewarded with a new two-year contract and now, the tactician can ink himself another piece of history when and if he successfully guides Ahly to the crown, right on the doorstep of their Moroccan rivals.

This will be the second time the two North African giants will face up in the final of the tournament, Wydad beat Ahly 2-1 on aggregate in the 2017 edition.

The Red Devils are also in sight to clinch a season’s double, with the Premier League title still in sight as they trail arch rivals Zamalek by four points and with three matches at hand.