Tough start in new job for Mosimane

Pitso Mosimane will begin his new stint at the helm of Iranian club Esteghlal on Tuesday with a tough Asian Champions League group clash against Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia in Dubai.

Mosimane was named as coach of the Teheran giants on Friday and immediately catapulted into an important assignment in continental club competition.

🗒️ @TheRealPitso will not be coaching Famous Royal Blues in the coming game, as his official beginning of training camp will be on Wednesday, the day after Esteghlal's important game against @AlNassrFC_EN. pic.twitter.com/jlqZaW7DHH

— Esteghlal (@EsteghlalFC_En) October 20, 2024

Tuesday’s clash has been switched to the United Arab Emirates from the Iranian capital because of security fears in the Gulf region.

It will be the second time in six months that Mosimane is up against Al Nassr, whose line-up includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.

🛎️ UP NEXT:

This Tuesday Famous Royal Blues will face Ronaldo and his pals in 3rd round of @TheeAFCCL in Duabi.#ESTNAS pic.twitter.com/R8cRvON6F6

— Esteghlal (@EsteghlalFC_En) October 19, 2024

Ronaldo grabbed a hattrick and Senegal star Mane was also among the scorers in April when Al Nassr traveled to Mosimane’s previous club Abha and thumped them 8-0 in the Saudi league.

Mosimane proved unable to keep Abha up in the top flight of Saudi football and left the club after relegation in May.

Tuesday’s match in Dubai marks his return to the coaching bench, not long after his 60th birthday.

He has previous experience in the Middle East with Abha and Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia and at the Abu Dhabi-based Al Wehda in the United Arab Emirates.

Tuesday’s match is the first, however, for Mosimane in the Asian Champions League. As coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, he won the African Champions League in 2016. It was a success that gave him a strong profile across the continent and led to his hiring in October 2020 by Egypt’s Al Ahly, where he went onto win a further two Champions League titles.

Esteghlal, who are two-time Asian champions, have three points from their opening two matches in the group phase of the Champions League while Al Nassr go into Tuesday’s game with four out of a possible six points.