Pitso Mosimane’s Saudi Arabian team moves two places up after win
South African coach Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahli Saudi jumped two places up the Saudi Arabian First Division log table on Saturday afternoon.
Al Ahli made the climb after stunning log leaders, Al Faisaly, with a 2-1 defeat in the second-tier league encounter played at a packed King Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.
It was only the third time that the hosts and the defending champions had suffered a league game this season.
The result boosted Al Ahli’s promotion chances. Al Ahli have lost once this season in 15 games and did so before Mosimane took over the reins.
Striker Haitam Asiri scored twice for Al Ahli in either half of the game while Cassiano scored for the hosts. Al Faisaly remain on top of the table.
WHAT THE WIN MEANS TO AL AHLI’S PROMOTION PROSPECTS
The win ended Al Ahli’s two-game winless league run that threatened to undermine their prospects for promotion to the top-flight league.
Al Ahli had, going into Saturday’s contest, drawn in back-to-back league games due to poor finishing and partly numerical disadvantage.
Mosimane’s charges finished Tuesday’s game with 10 men following the red carding of Al Majrashi in the match against Al Qadisiyah.
Mosimane’s club has one game in hand and lie five points behind the leaders, Al Faisaly.
The Jeddah-based side is in position four on the log table with 28 points from 15 games.
Al Shoulla anchor the log table with 10 points from 16 games.
PITSO MOSIMANE REMAINS UNDEFEATED IN SAUDI ARABIA
The South African coach Mosimane remains undefeated in nine league games since he picked the job in Saudi Arabia.
Mosimane has won four league games and drawn five matches with the Jeddah-based outfit.
The former Bafana Bafana coach took over the coaching reins at Al Ahli after parting ways with Al Ahly in Egypt mid last year.
Mosimane went on a sabbatical saying he wanted to recharge after the taxing demands of coaching the Egyptian giants.
A few months later, he was hired by the Saudis with a mandate of earning Al Ahli promotion to the Saudi Arabia Professional League.
Al Ahli were relegated from the top-flight league last season after a poor run of form.
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