By Velile Mnyandu
In what could most likely to be the bombshell in African football, Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane could possibly leave the club this week if the current negotiations for a new contract are not resolved.
iDiski Times has gathered that the contract renewal talks between Mosimane and Ahly reached a stalemate last week and it is believed that the only way for the situation to change or improve, is if the two parties find each other and move forward by agreeing the terms of the new contract.
Mosimane who finished a year at the African Club of the Century last month, a glorious 12 months that he has had at Ahly which has seen him winning four trophies, including two CAF Champions League titles, something the Egyptian giants had not managed to achieve in seven years before former Bafana Bafana head coach’s arrival.
Contrary to reports that Mosimane and Ahly were close to renew the contract for an extra two years, this is not the situation from what iDiski Times has gathered.
At the heart of these negotiations and stalemate its believed to be the “protection clause” Mosimane and his camp want to be inserted in the new contract. Football fans in North Africa, particularly in Egypt at the two big clubs Ahly and Zamalek can be very fickle and demanding leading to club bosses being trigger happy.
According to sources from Egypt, whilst Ahly chairman ‘Captain El Khatib’ (Bibo) is fond of Mosimane and wants to offer him this new deal, Ahly’s reluctance in agreeing for this security clause, could be the source of Mosimane possibly packing his bags and going home this week, with crunch talks set to take place on Monday.
Just before the CAF Champions League final against Kaizer Chiefs in July, which Ahly comfortably won 3-0, news emerged from Egypt that the Red Devils were planning to offer Mosimane a new two-year contract with the current deal still left with a year to run.
That Champions League success was followed by the failure to win the Egyptian Premier League title which went to arch-rivals Zamalek who took advantage of Ahly’s hectic schedule and injuries, which also saw six of their players including captain Mohamed El Shenawy representing Egypt at the Tokyo Olympics and missing league games in the process.
Ahly again lost the domestic Super Cup 3-2 on penalties to Tala’ea El Gaish, a game they could have easily won were it not for the missed chances.
In this transfer window which closed recently in Egypt, Mosimane had started building a formidable team signing six new players including Bafana Bafana attacker Percy Tau from Brighton and Hove Albion, Mozambican international winger Luis Miquissone from Tanzanian giants Simba Sports Club, former Smouha striker Hossam Hassan and a couple of other locally-based players.
As Ahly prepare for their first game in the 58th edition of the CAF Champions League 2021/2022 tournament this week away to US Gendarmerie Nationale from Niger, the news of Mosimane uncertainty about his future could come as a big blow to the record 10 times African champions.
The 57-year-old head coach, who has won three Champions League titles including the 2016 success with Mamelodi Sundowns is a serial winner on the continent.
But given the latest reports from Egypt in recent weeks, with coaches from Europe being linked to Ahly and Mosimane also linked with clubs from the Gulf region, anything is possible in the world of football.
