Pitso Mosimane says he’s unconcerned about what may happen upon his return to South Africa to face his former club Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Al Ahly coach was subject to unsavoury scenes in Atteridgeville when supporters hurled abuse at him and his mother whilst he claims it continued inside the stadium.
At the time Mosimane burst into tears in the post-match press conference after the 1-1 draw which dates back to May last year.
But this time around he suggests he’s prepared for what may happen and knows exactly orchestrated the ‘movement’ within the Masandawana set-up.
“I don’t know, it’s not up to me, you can’t get worried about what you can’t control, okay. I was at that team for eight years, I know that team in and out,” he told the South African Football Journalists Association.
“I know what happened, I know who organised that, I know everything. But maybe you guys look at the supporters – no they were told what to do. Supporters don’t do that.
“There are no supporters who can rally around and do something when there’s no movement and direction, they know and we all know when you’re in that club you know that I know what happened because I spent my life there.
“Whether that comes or doesn’t come, it doesn’t matter – what matters is on the pitch. I was sworn at even my team was sworn. I mean people were swearing at us in the corridors when players were lining up just to go out.
“Even Sundowns supporters, Sundowns players were disappointed that the particular person was swearing – but being directed that person was told to do this. And it was disappointing is they were swearing in my language and of course, Al Ahly players don’t understand what they’re saying, I’m the only one who does.”
Mosimane added that it hurt him to know that after giving his all at the club over eight years, which he suggested he gave more to than what he’s done at Al Ahly – that he was still on the receiving and of what transpired.
“At that time [before a game] I’m in my zone, the match, not dealing with nobodies, I mean those are the nobodies who came to swear at us, even during the game they were swearing at us and swearing at me directly,” he said.
“I said to myself, is it what you need to receive what you contributed your life, you gave everything to the team – there’s no team I’ve given all my life to like that even at SuperSport United I never gave so much like Sundowns.
“I made sure I left the jersey in a better place, that’s what’s important to me, the rest is not to talk, the work talks – I look back and say have I contributed? Is there a footprint, yes? Have I left the jersey in a better place, yes.
“Have the coaches who came found a team they needed to fix in a bad condition, no, no. And that’s me, I’ve done my best and I was honest in the team. Maybe somewhere, somehow that was my problem, even Al Ahly has received what I’ve given at Sundowns.
“But it’s okay, we move on in life, I’m not going to worry about what’s going to happen and why they did that, I’ve got the World Cup to worry about and not what’s going to happen in that street in Atteridgeville, I mean really.”
Ahly will face Sundowns in Cairo next week for the Champions League Group A clash before travelling to South Africa in May for the away clash.
