Al Ahly cannot finish the 2022/23 season higher than third place but will still play in the CAF Champions League because of Pitso Mosimane.
The Egyptian lost 1-0 to Tala’ea El-Gaish on Saturday, making it impossible for them to catch second-placed Pyramids with just one game to go.
Pyramids currently sit on 71 points, while Al Ahly have 67, meaning the ‘Club of the Century’ will finish outside the top two spots for a first time in 30 years.
The last time there were not in the top two was in the 1991/92 season when they finished in fourth.
Upgrade to ultra-fast home 5G premium & get a second premium plan free from rain.co.za.
With only the top two sides’ qualifying for CAF Champions League football, Al Ahly wouldn’t even be in Africa’s elite club competition, if it hadn’t been for Mosimane.
The Egyptian Football Association made the decision to take the log standings after the first round of fixtures because the deadline to register clubs was on 25 July.
At the time, Al Ahly were sitting in second spot behind Zamalek with 40 points collected by Mosimane. In the second half of the campaign, Al Ahly only collected 27 points after the South African was replaced by Ricardo Soares on 30 June.
The Portuguese coach was in charge of 12 league games and only won six of them.
The team that must be feeling hard done by the decision is Fagrie Lakay’s Pyramids, who will not play CAF Champions League despite finishing in second place.
