Mosimane says he is not appreciated in SA
JOHANNESBURG. — Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is happy with the appreciation he is getting outside South Africa after guiding his team past RS Berkane in the Caf Super Cup.
The 56-year-old was abused by alleged Mamelodi Sundowns supporters after eliminating them from the Caf Champions League 3-1 on aggregate. The tactician concedes it was an emotional week for him and he went on to blame the system for what happened.
“I believe if you focus on winning games, the outcome will sort itself out but I do feel good to be part of contributing to Africa and I feel good to be appreciated, unlike what happened to me in my own country,” Mosimane said after his latest victory.
“The last week has been too emotional for me, to be honest. But I don’t blame anybody. I have to blame the system that we come from.
“Some people say if you want to set up a black man to fail, you must use a black man to destroy him.”
The former Masandawana coach has further stated the best way to answer his critics is by ensuring he performs well on the pitch and lift trophies.
“For me, it’s not about talking, it’s about . . . this is how you reply in football — you reply by lifting trophies, not talking about what happened last week,” Mosimane continued. “Let the work speak for yourself. I’m too mature and I move on. The only way is to congratulate everyone associated with Al Ahly, congratulate the team and everyone who is associated with me.”
On Friday, two second-half goals from Mohamed Sherif and Salah Mohsen inspired the Egyptian champions to a well-deserved victory over their Moroccan opponents.
It was Mosimane’s third major trophy at the club, having guided the team to last season’s Egyptian Cup and the Caf Champions League title.
Al Ahly were brimming with confidence having booked their place in this season’s Caf Champions League semi-finals after defeating South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 on aggregate last weekend.
Al Ahly have now completed the continental double for the 2021 season having won both the Champions League and Super Cup.
They are scheduled to take on Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis in the two-legged semi-final tie next month, but before that, the Red Devils will face ENPPI SC in the Egyptian Cup round of 16 on June 4.
Meanwhile, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded Al Ahly coach Mosimane for his achievements in football on the African continent.
On Friday, the former Mamelodi Sundowns tactician led the Red Devils to the Caf Super Cup title after a 2-0 win over RS Berkane. Two second-half goals from Sherif and Mohsen inspired the Egyptian champions to a well-deserved victory over their Moroccan opponents at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
It was Mosimane’s fourth trophy with the Egyptian side, and the Head of State believes the work done by the former Bafana Bafana coach is uniting people from diverse backgrounds and hailed him as a fantastic representative of the country.
“Pitso Mosimane is an outstanding flagbearer for our country and for football,” Ramaphosa stated.
“His outstanding performance and that of his club show what is possible when talent moves freely around our continent to unite people from diverse backgrounds and national origin and inspire them to achieve extraordinary things.” — Goal.com