Al Ahly star Kahraba has made sensational claims that Pitso Mosimane nearly destroyed his playing career. The forward, whose real name is Mahmoud Abdel Moneim, has made the claims despite the fact that the South African moved on. Meanwhile, the CAF Champions League-winning coach is set to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Johannesburg.
Pitso Mosimane’s exit from the Egyptian football circles has not erased Kahraba’s memories of the South African. The player said he still has bitter memories of the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns trainer. FilGoal.com has quoted the 28-year-old striker as having spoken to On Time Sports channel in Egypt. “Pitso Mosimane would have destroyed me, and the difference between him and Marcel Koller is very big,” Kahraba is quoted saying. Koller is the current coach for Al Ahly. The Swiss took over the job from Ricardo Soares who had replaced the Kagiso-born mentor in 2022.
What Kahraba said about Mosimane’s tenure at Al Ahly
Kahraba then suggested that Pitso Mosimane won more silverware at Al Ahly due to squad depth. He said: “In Al-Ahly, we are accustomed to winning championships. That is the reason, maybe, that we played in many final matches. Any new player integrates with the group and enters the same system. Mosimane did a lot for the club, but I think he had many good players. They were the ones who accomplished everything for the team.”
The feud between Pitso Mosimane and Kahraba appeared to have died down after the player apologised to the coach in 2022. The forward told Al Ahly Television that he did not react well to the former Bafana Bafana mentor’s decisions to bench him in some matches.
Why Kahraba apologised to then Al Ahly coach Mosimane
According to KingFut, Kahraba spoke to the television channel after the Red Devils had won their 10th CAF Champions League title. The Egyptians defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 to win the continental gong. The Egyptian player came off the bench in the second half of that match. He had just returned from a month-long ban imposed due to what Al Ahly claimed were disciplinary reasons.
How the South African coach defended himself
“When a player is always among the starting 11 then he is suddenly benched, it’s a very bad feeling at the beginning. Sometimes, it pushes the player to make mistakes. This is what happened between me and Pitso. But, I learned from my mistakes and now all my focus is on winning the Egyptian Premier League,” Kahraba then said.
Pitso Mosimane already defended himself from the allegations that he had issues with Kahraba. KingFut.com quoted the South African as backing himself against the claims after the Egyptian striker had secured a loan move to Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayaspour in January 2022.
What Jingles said while still at Al Ahly
Jingles then dismissed talk that he was the reason Kahraba had jumped ship to sign a six-month loan deal with Hatayaspour. “If I didn’t like Kahraba, I wouldn’t have played him against Bayern Munich in the FIFA Club World Cup,” Pitso was quoted telling KingFut,com. “There is a lot of competition among the squad. We have Percy Tau, Luis Miquissone, Hussein El-Shahat, Ahmed Abdelkader, Taher Mohamed, and Walid Soliman, it’s a very tough competition. I have Mohamed Sherif who scored 26 goals last season, and sometimes he starts on the bench as well.
The 59-year-old took a breather after leaving the Egyptians in 2022. He then returned to the dugout with resounding success. He dragged Al Ahli Saudi from the second-tier league in Saudi Arabia back to the Saudi Pro League last season. A stint with Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates followed for the former SuperSport United handler. He is now back in Saudi Arabia. He has been tasked with saving Abha Club from the canines of relegation.
