Al Ahly’s Coach Seeks Fourth CAF Champions League Title
Coach of Al Ahly of Egypt, Pitso Mosimane, has his eyes cast on leading his side to its third consecutive CAF Champions League title and 11th overall, while also seeking to equal Manuel Jose’s record of winning four Champions League titles as coach.
Mosimane will lead Al Ahly in the final of the CAF Champions League against Wydad Athletic Club at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco on Monday.
Portuguese tactician Manuel Jose won the CAF Champions League title with Al Ahly in 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Mosimane on the other hand, won with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 and has been behind Al 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,” Mosimane said ahead of Monday’s final.
“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. 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,” Mosimane added.
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 al 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 Al Ahly faithful when he guided them to La Ashara, their 10th continental title.
The South African coach 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 Al Ahly to the crown, right on the doorstep of their Moroccan rivals.
This will be the second time the two North African giants will square up in the final of the tournament. Wydad beat Al Ahly 2-1 on aggregate in the 2017 edition.
The Red Devils are also on course to clinch this 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.
Chidi Nwoke/CAF.
