Pitso always wanted to stay
OFFERS: MASANDAWANA COACH ADMITS THERE WERE SUITORS
Michaelson Gumede
Even though there were suitors from North African teams and clubs from other parts of the world, Pitso Mosimane says he always wanted to stay at Mamelodi Sundowns because that is a place he feels “loved” and enjoys the backing of club president Patrice Motsepe.
“He (Motsepe) said he wants me to be the Sir Alex Ferguson of the club and he had no doubts about keeping me. That is one of the reasons why I am here because if you have confidence from the president of the club and from the board, you don’t need to confirm anything else,” said Mosimane, whose contract was extended by four years (he joined Masandawana back in December 2012).
“There are many factors [that keep me here], such as the Yellow Nation. The fans are always singing at the top of their voices. How do you leave those people? You cannot just up and go just because someone else is interested in you. You have got to think and have your conscious mind. You have to weigh things up. (There are) some decisions (that) you don’t make because they suit you as an individual, you cannot be selfish, You have to understand that people and emotions are involved and people have really honoured and humbled me in this club,” added Mosimane.
“I always say ‘why would you leave a place where you are loved?’. So I have got no reason to leave. Sometimes you think the grass is greener on the other side. I have always said and believed that I want to be here and I have always been positive,” he said.
Mosimane does not have a mandate from the board, but one thing that Motsepe said is that he would love to see his club play in the final of the Fifa Club World Cup one day, a tournament they took part in back in 2016.
“Sundowns are growing as a club, expectations are growing, we are going for the next four years, and the pressure is growing,” added Mosimane, highlighting how important it was for Sundowns to strengthen their playing ranks going forward.
“We need to assess if we are in a position to deal with the demands and exactly what is expected of us.
“If we feel we can handle the demands with what we have, then okay.
“But we are not going to be shy to make sure that we strengthen when the time and the pressure calls for it.”