Speaking ahead of his official coaching debut at his new club, South African tactician Pitso Mosimane has discussed the challenge of having to go up against teams led by iconic players such as Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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In January, the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns head coach signed a deal with Saudi Pro League outfit Abha Club until the end of the season with the aim of keeping the side in the country's top division.
Abha Club, nicknamed the Leaders of the South, are currently second last on the table after 19 matches, having claimed only four victories since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Ahead of what will be a difficult task, Mosimane goes into his role with experience of having worked in Saudi before following his spell between September 2022 and June 2023 at Al Ahli, with whom he won promotion to the SPL.
Since the 59-year-old's stint at the Castle of Cups, the club has been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, along with Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Hilal.
"With the differences between those four clubs and the rest, it can seem like we're their sparring partners," he told The National.
"But, for me, it's about the challenge and, I guess, I'm trying to finish a story. If I personalise it, I won promotion to this league with Al Ahli, so I should be in the Pro League.
"Of course, the conditions are different. It's now the biggest league in the Gulf, maybe in Asia."
Mosimane continued by admitting he had no idea Al Ahli were on the brink of a financial takeover, and said he enjoys seeing his former players mixing with high-profile footballers.
"I didn't know the transformation was coming, although there were rumours. And it's the biggest transformation: nearly €1 billion spent on transfers across the league.
"I see players I coached at Al Ahli now in a team with Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Edu Mendy. I saw them taking selfies with these guys.
"I think, 'What an opportunity for them to be learning from and sitting in the dressing room alongside players they only knew from watching them on television'. It's a good transformation, a good thing for the club."
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Abha Club's first official match under "Jingles" will be against Al Taawoun on 15 February.
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