Yet again, Pitso Mosimane finds himself as the central figure ahead of one of the biggest matches in the African football calendar.
The experienced South African coach, once again gunning for the Caf Champions League, was one of the big talking points in the latest episode of the African Football HQ podcast—a Kaizer Chiefs vs Al-Ahly special.
Mosimane is aiming to win back-to-back Champions League titles for the first time in his career, continuing a remarkable and relentless winning streak since taking over at Al-Ahly.
Despite only taking over at Ahly in September 2019, Mosimane has also clinched silverware domestically, and oversaw the Red Devils’ Caf Champions League success in September.
He’s on course—remarkably—to win his second Caf CL crown within the space of nine months, surely an unprecedented achievement.
It was a memorable triumph too, with Ahly defeating eternal rivals SC Zamalek in the final in Cairo.
The 56-year-old also won over many admirers at the 2020 Club World Cup, where they finished third after defeating Brazil’s Palmeiras on penalties following a 2-0 defeat by Bayern Munich.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Mosimane’s Ahly also downed RS Berkane of Morocco in the Caf Super Cup—winning 2-0 in Doha—to extend a remarkable maiden season of dominance in the Egyptian capital.
The presence of Mosimane in the Ahly dugout surely represents a massive advantage for the Red Devils, particularly considering how well the experienced manager knows Chiefs.
During his long stint with Mamelodi Sundowns, he helped the Brazilians enjoy consistent success while the Amakhosi—the more traditional powerhouses—struggled to restore their former glory.
Mosimane also enjoys the superior head-to-head record against Chiefs, and he’ll be hoping to extend that record this weekend.
In 18 recorded meetings between Mosimane and Chiefs—during his time with both Sundowns and SuperSport United—he has registered seven victories.
In the other 11 meetings, Chiefs have won just five, while the other six bouts have been draws.
The most recent meeting between manager and club—which took place 15 months ago—resulted in a 2-0 victory for Mosimane’s Sundowns against the Amakhosi.
How he would love a similar scoreline on Saturday!