African All Stars

WATCH: Mosimane arrives in Saudi Arabia, conducts first Al Ahli interview and training

Joel Omotto
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Pitso Mosimane, Al Ahli, September 2022
https://twitter.com/ALAHLI_FCEN
South African coach Pitso Mosimane conducted his first training session with Al-Ahli players after arriving in Jeddah on Monday.
  • Mosimane met Al-Ahli players shortly after arriving in Jeddah
  • Ex-Al Ahly, Sundowns coach has called on fans to push the team
  • Al-Ahli eyeing return to top-flight after relegation last season

WHAT HAPPENED? Mosimane, accompanied by his coaching staff, touched down in Jeddah on Monday afternoon and headed straight to the club where he met the players and toured the facilities before conducting his first training session.

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The former Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns coach has the tough task of returning the Saudi giants to the top-flight next season and he has called on the fans to turn up and push the team.

“We came to do the job and we are ready. We feel good, we feel at home, we feel welcomed. The message to them [fans] is they must come to the stadium and fill the stadium because with them, we have more power. We need them at the stadium to push the team,” said Mosimane.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mosimane has promised to ‘recreate history’ with Al-Ahli and his immediate task is to return them to the top division following their relegation last season.

It is a big job given the club lies seventh on the table on eight points from five matches, four behind leaders Al Khadoud, having won two, drawn as many and lost one. Jingles will also have to find ways for his team to score more frequently, given while they have the best defence in the division after conceding three so far, they have only scored five goals.

The three-time Caf Champions League winner needs to come up with a winning formula quickly to get supporters on board since Al-Ahli have had 14 tacticians in the last four years, averaging five months per coach.

WHAT NEXT FOR MOSIMANE? Mosimane has little time to know his players since his first match is on Wednesday against local rivals Jeddah who are also on eight points.

Al-Ahli’s two victories of the season came in September where they went unbeaten and their new coach can endear himself to the fans if he leads them to their third win of the campaign in what will be a busy October where they have four league matches.

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