Pitso Mosimane sets conditions for Saudi return

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‘Jingles’ will need a lot of assurances before another stint in the Gulf

Pitso Mosimane is still open to returning to Saudi Arabian side Abha Club but will need some guarantees before agreeing to a deal.

Mosimane left the club after the end of his short-term deal following failure to rescue Abha Club from relegation but his positive record during his stint there, as well as fellow Saudi side Al Ahli, still makes him an attractive prospect.

Mosimane joined Abha Club midseason when the club were fighting relegation, managing 18 points in the last 15 games, having accumulated 14 from 19 matches prior to his arrival, but fell short on the final day of the season as they were axed from the Saudi Pro League.

The club did not extend his stay but there have been reports that they could still be interested in bringing him back to return them to the top flight, given the great job he did for Al Ahli in the 2022-23 season.

However, the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach wants to see a major overhaul at Abha Club before he can agree to return.

‘You need to dismantle a lot of things and reassemble then we can talk’

“A lot of things need to change at Abha Club, you need to dismantle a lot of things and reassemble then we can talk,” Mosimane told FARPost.

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Photo by Icon Sport

“We’ve won that league with five games to go. We found Al Ahli were number nine. Yeah, we will see [what happens in the near future] because we don’t rush. There are a lot of important things to do at the club.”

Mosimane has backed himself to do the ‘rescue job’ at Abha Club, if he gets a second chance and his conditions are met, and likened the club to Premier League giants Manchester United who have struggled to get back on top due to a poor structure behind the scenes despite their financial muscle.

‘Jingles’ is no stranger to leading teams to top flight promotion after joining Al Ahli Saudi in September 2022 and helping them earn immediate promotion to the Saudi Pro League with five matches to spare. 

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.

His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.