Pitso Mosimane has hit back at people who criticised his move to Saudi Arabia to “awaken the sleeping giant” Al Ahli Saudi SC.
The South African tactician and his side all but secured promotion to the Saudi Pro League, with the question now rather when it will be confirmed than if after their latest 2-1 win over Hajer Club on Wednesday.
The victory took Mosimane and his men back to the top of the Yelo League (the Saudi First Division), and 15 points clear of Al-Faisaly in the first win-promotion spot.
While it was initially thought that technically Al Ahli still needed to wait for Al-Faisaly, who are coached by former Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas, and still have five games outstanding to theoretically collect 15 points, Al Ahli have already secured promotion based on their better head-to-head record over Al-Faisaly.
The drew 2-2 recently and beat them 2-1 in January, meaning Al-Faisaly cannot overtake them on the log, even in the unlikely case they would manage to equal Al Ahli’s points tally, which would need them to win all their five games and for Al Ahli to lose their’s.
Mosimane, rightfully, already started celebrations and can be proud of the latest achievement in his outstanding coaching career, which goes from one high to another.
“They told us that we are taking a career suicide that the team has lot of problems (management, finances etc) but we bravely took the project, irrespective,” he wrote on twitter.
“They also us told we can’t resuscitate the sleeping giant. We daily whispered to it and tonight, it responded. It’s awake.”
Mosimane and his technical team, conditioning coach Kabelo Rangoaga, head analyst Musi Matlaba and analyst Kyle Solomon joined Al Ahli Saudi on 25 September when his team was lying in second position after they had been relegated to the First Division for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, assistant Maahier Davids joined the club a few weeks later to complete the South African dream team on the sidelines of the club.
Al Ahli, called the “sleeping giants” by Mosimane, are one of the four founding members of the Saudi Pro League, along with Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al Nassr, the club Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for.
They have won nine Saudi Pro League titles and a record 13 King’s Cups.
Image credit: Al Ahli Saudi
Article updated on 04 May.
