Al Ahly midfielder Mohamed Mahmoud has attributed his loss of form to the Egyptian club’s former coach Pitso Mosimane.
Mahmoud spoke to Sada El-Balad-News of Egypt when commenting on how he is faring at Ittihad FC, where he is on loan from Al Ahly.
The 24-year-old told the Egyptian website that Pitso Mosimane’s training methods were detrimental to his form.
He accused the South African of not giving him a straightforward fitness programme to follow during the off-season break.
WHAT PITSO MOSIMANE DID
“After I returned from my injury, I was overweight and was not physically fit. Pitso Mosimane did not play me because of that,” Mahmoud told Sada El-Balad-News.
“He was asking us to come back from holidays in good shape, but he did not provide us with any fitness programs and just trusted us to be fit on our own.”
“My form was not good after I returned from injury, so I was not registered in the Club World Cup squad as a result,” he added.
Mahmoud signed for the former CAF Champions League holders in 2019 from Wadi Delga.
However, a series of injuries undermined his progress with the Cairo-based giants.
The midfielder suffered two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, sidelining him for many months.
Mahmoud recovered from the injury but claimed that Mosimane starved him of game-time.
The midfielder claims he started seeing more game-time when Portuguese Ricardo Soares replaced Pitso Mosimane mid-last year.
WHY MAHMOUD SWITCHED TO ITTIHAD ON LOAN
A few months later, Mahmoud joined Ittihad of Alexandria on loan, hoping to get regular football and attract national team selectors.
Mahmoud scored once and provided three assists in 16 games during his time with the Reds.
Mosimane eventually left Al Ahly after spending some 21 months with them, saying he wanted to take a break from coaching.
The South African delivered two CAF Champions League titles in three attempts, in addition to other silverware such as the FIFA Club World Cup bronze medals.
Mosimane is now in charge of Al Ahli Saudi in the second-tier Saudi league.
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