With Jose Riveiro in his toughest job yet at Ahly, former striker Percy Tau has warned the ex-Orlando Pirates head coach about what to expect at the Club of the Century.
On paper, it's very rare for a club as big as the Red Devils to hire a coach without a huge pedigree, as before coaching Pirates, the Spaniard was unknown and had next to nothing coaching credentials.
Riveiro had his first head coaching job in 2019 when he was appointed manager at Finnish outfit Inter Turku and after an impressive two-and-half seasons, The Soweto giants came calling for his services.
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The Vigo native tactician, who cut his teeth as a coach in youth football in Spain, earned a reputation as a cup specialist in the PSL, after winning five trophies in three seasons with The Buccaneers.
Tau, who spent three-and-half seasons at the record CAF Champions League winners, has warned Riveiro about the heavy expectations at the Cairo-based club.
"It's going to require a lot from him, where he's going is very different to South Africa. It's a club with so many fans and passion, they really love the club so much and he has to win every competition that he participates in," Tau said on 947's MSW.
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"But they've also given him the resources, they've signed him a lot of good players, so that would help but he has to do better than the previous coach, (Marcel) Koller, he won 11 trophies with me. He (Riveiro) has to do better than that.
"What he has done with Pirates it does say he's a good coach, he knows what he's doing. I think he can do well but it's going to require a lot. At Al Ahly it's not only the games he has to deal with..." Tau suggested.
Riveiro will have a baptism of fire taking charge of Al Ahly at FIFA Club World, drawn in Group A alongside Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Porto and Palmeiras.
