Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has laid down a challenge to South African players and coaches.
Mosimane recently made history when he became the first South African coach to take up the hot seat at Africa’s club of the Century back in October.
After spending much of his coaching career within the borders of South Africa, coaching the likes of SuperSport United, Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns, where he walked away from a lucrative four-year contract last year, Mosimane took a leap of faith and boldly stepped into the unknown.
The gamble, as it appears, paid off for the 56-year-old after leading the Eagles to an unprecedented ninth CAF Champions League title, as well as the Egyptian Premier League and Egyptian Cup.
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Speaking to the media in a (South African Football Journalists Association) SAFJA press conference, Mosimane has challenged his South African counterparts to take a leaf out of his book and test their abilities in the unknown.
“I would like to challenge my colleagues in South Africa, the coaches and even the players. You don’t know until you are on the other side. I too did not know, well not as much as I do now. I think the floor is open for an exchange of players and coaches. I think there are good coaches over here and good coaches in South Africa who should test themselves, not only in the middle east but in the continent as well,” he said.
“I mean we are in the same group as Simba (in the CAF Champions League) I will be so disappointed to hear that none of the South African coaches applied or tried to coach Simba, a team that is always in the group stages with the likes of Al Ahly. We can’t settle only for what we have at home, we have the quality to do that people like Cavin Johnson are here with us. South African coaches can do it.
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Mosimane made reference to former Orlando Pirates head coach Eric Tinkler, who according to Mosimane, has the ability and qualifications to coach big teams like Tanzanian giants Simba SC.
“I mean people like Eric Tinkler, they are out of a job now, you can’t be doing the same thing all the time like a hamster in a wheel. I think he has the CV to coach Simba. I’m not saying that he should go there but I mentioned his name. he’s been to the Champion’s League and Confederation Cup final with Orlando Pirates. He’s got the experience and a bigger CV than the Europeans who come to South Africa and they do not know what African football is about , what Champions League is about.
“It’s an opportunity but some of us probably have to lead the way and show that there’s no problem just outside the borders of South Africa,” Mosimane explained.
Click through the gallery above to see the top 10 most valuable South African players.
