'Witnessed the Worst Football' - Former Al Ahly Star Explains Why Pitso Mosimane Was Not the Club's Best Coach

Former Al-Ahly star Hossam Hassan has declared that current manager Marcel Koller is a superior coach to his predecessor, Pitso Mosimane, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming CAF Champions League quarterfinal clashes.

Speaking on the "El Hekaya" program with Amr Adib, Hossam Hassan expressed his confidence in Al-Ahly's chances.

"I expect Al-Ahly to win the African Champions League," he stated. "But even if they don't, Koller is a better coach for Al-Ahly than Mosimane was."

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While acknowledging Mosimane's success, Hassan was critical of the team's style under the South African coach.

"Pitso Mosimane won the African Champions League, but during his time, we witnessed the worst football Al-Ahly has played in its history," he explained.

"If Koller wins the Champions League after this excellent performance, he will be engraved in the club's history."

Hossam Hassan praised the Swiss manager for transforming the team's on-field product. "Koller created a new team in a short period and performed strongly, displaying a beautiful playing style, unlike the Al-Ahly team during Mosimane's era."

He also drew comparisons to past management decisions, suggesting the club has learned from its mistakes. "Al-Ahly made a mistake by parting ways with managers like Manuel Jose, who won two African Champions League titles for the club. They only signed one player for him, while they brought in nine players for Koller, who now needs just one or two more to achieve something historic."

Al-Ahly is set to face Espérance de Tunis in the CAF Champions League quarterfinal. The Egyptian giants secured their spot after a dominant 3-0 home victory over TP Mazembe, following a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the away leg.

Meanwhile, Pitso Mosimane is widely regarded as the most successful manager in South African football history, having built a legendary reputation across the African continent and beyond.

He first established his coaching credentials at SuperSport United between 2001 and 2007, where he secured several major domestic trophies, including the Nedbank Cup.

Following a stint as the head coach of the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, Pitso Mosimane joined Mamelodi Sundowns in 2012 and led them to an unprecedented five league titles.

His tenure at Mamelodi Sundowns was highlighted by a historic 2016 CAF Champions League victory, making them only the second South African club to ever achieve the feat.

In 2020, he transitioned to the Egyptian giants Al Ahly, where he immediately guided the team to back-to-back CAF Champions League titles and multiple bronze medals at the FIFA Club World Cup.

His more recent career has seen him take on diverse challenges in the Middle East and Asia, managing clubs such as Al-Ahli Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Al Wahda in the UAE, and Esteghlal in Iran.