Former Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed the reasons behind his decision to terminate his contract with Iranian club Esteghlal FC, just six months after his appointment as head coach.
Image: Khaled Desouki/AFP
Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed the reasons behind his decision to terminate his contract with Iranian club Esteghlal FC, barely six months after his appointment as head coach.
The 60-year-old Mosimane took the reins in October last year and was tasked with turning around the club's fortunes in the Iran Pro League, where they had struggled to gain momentum.
The former Bafana Bafana mentor was enjoying a decent stint at the helm of Esteghlal, having compiled a record of three wins, four losses, and seven draws before financial issues at the club that saw him go unpaid for two months led to his departure.
Since parting ways with the club, Mosimane has faced scathing criticism from some quarters, with certain members including the club's CEO Hojjat Karimi accusing him of being motivated solely by financial gain.
In an interview with Xoliswa Zondo on 5FM, Mosiame shared that his departure from the club was a necessary move to safeguard his brand.
“A big team in Iran, a big team in Asia. We just played [AFC] Champions League with Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, we played with Neymar’s [former] team, we played with Riyad Mahrez’s team,” Mosimane said according to IdiskiTimes.
“For me as an African coach, there is nothing bigger than that. You play with big teams, big coaches, who won [Copa] Libertadores, who won leagues. Everybody who is not in the Premier League is in that space.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t end very well because I had to terminate the contract because I had to protect the brand, I had to protect my name, I had to protect the 26 years I’ve put in football.
IOL Sport
Related Topics: