Esperance’s Maaloul: Former Al Ahly coach Mosimane should have been sacked earlier

The retired Tunisian international, however, backed the new coach, who was brought in after the exit of the South African

Esperance head coach Nabil Maaloul has claimed Pitso Mosimane should have been replaced earlier than he was at Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

As the veteran Tunisian tactician placed blame on Mosimane’s shoulder for the club’s performance, he backed up the new coach, Ricardo Soares, who was appointed to succeed the South African.

"Mosimane should have been replaced a while ago. This is not Al Ahly we know," Maaloul told ONTime Sports, as quoted by KingFut.

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"Egyptian fans love to see good results, but they also want to see good football.

"Ricardo Soares is a good coach and he plays good football, big teams like Al Ahly must have a coach who can deal with criticism."

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The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach and the Red Devils mutually parted ways in June.

As Soares starts his job with Al Ahly, he revealed he sought advice from the former club’s coach, Manuel Jose, who had a successful time with the Egyptian giants before.

"I spoke with one of the icons of the club to hear advice from him," the Portuguese revealed, as quoted by the club’s portal. "Manuel Jose gave me great advice and he encouraged me to come to Al Ahly.

"I appreciate his advice and the knowledge he gave me will help me in my mission. Ever since I started negotiating with Al Ahly, I started analyzing the team's matches along with my assistants."

Acknowledging the ability of his new players, Soares discussed what they must do if they have to perform well.

"In order to play well, we have to constantly train well. Step by step, we will need to have good character to make sure that we keep winning," he concluded.

"Al Ahly have a lot of good technical players, and I noticed that there are a lot of similarities between the Portuguese players and the Egyptian players.

"The players are very developed, smart, and can read the game well. There are a lot of good players with a lot of potential."

"We will start a new phase in the club’s history. We will do our best to support the team. I know the responsibilities that come with coaching Al Ahly. Our goal is to win titles and play high-quality football."