Al Ahly legend claims Mosimane saw club as ‘stepping stone’, leveraged Zamalek for contract boost

Al Ahly legend Wael Gomaa has once again launched a scathing attack on Pitso Mosimane, accusing him of using the club as a springboard for his own career advancement.

Gomaa, known to be one of Mosimane’s most vocal critics during the SA coach’s tenure at Al Ahly between 2020 and 2022, further claimed that Mosimane exploited reported interest from bitter rivals Zamalek to negotiate a more lucrative contract with Al Ahly.

Gomaa, a stalwart of Al Ahly’s and Egypt’s defence during his heydays, made these remarks during an interview with MBC Masr recently.

“I’m talking about facts and incidents that happened here,” said the outspoken Gomaa, who has some coaching experience himself, having served as part of Carlos Queiroz’s coaching staff for Egypt during the 2021 AFCON campaign.

“The things I said about him [Mosimane] in the past were based on the style of play I was watching in comparison with the teams we played against at the time.”

GOMAA CLAIMS MOSIMANE USED ZAMALEK INTEREST FOR LEVERAGE

Gamaa continued: “One of the things I didn’t like about him in particular was the fact that he was using rivals Zamalek as a bargaining chip with Al Ahly to get a better contract. I was told that he’s a good coach in the training ground, but he always sought holidays for him and the players, which was to their detriment.”

Even with Mosimane’s impressive trophy cabinet at the African football giants, Al Ahly, including two CAF Champions League titles, Gomaa went on to state that the playing style didn’t resonate with the club’s players.

“There were also players that told me personally they didn’t like the way Mosimane played. Again, he’s a big coach, but I think he only saw Al Ahly as a stepping stone in his career,” added Gomaa.

Mosimane, the first African coach to win three Champions League titles, also won the Egypt Cup, CAF Super Cup, and Egyptian Premier League and sealed a bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup with Al Ahly.

After his successful trophy-laden stint in Cairo, the 2016 CAF Coach of the Year opted for a new challenge in the Gulf region.

He joined Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia, guiding them to promotion from the second division. However, his stay was brief as he moved on to coach Al Wahda in the UAE. He is currently unattached as his spell at Abha Club recently ended.

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