Mosimane ‘lucky & deceptive’: Ex-Al Ahly coach not as good as Weiler - Gomaa

The player has claimed the former Mamelodi Sundowns tactician had an ‘underwhelming’ stint in Cairo and could not be compared to his predecessor

Former Al Ahly midfielder Saleh Gomaa has described Pitso Mosimane as‘ lucky and deceptive’ while claiming his predecessor Rene Weiler was a better coach.

Gomaa played under both Mosimane and the man he replaced at the Cairo giants, and while he was impressed with the latter’s coaching acumen, the South African did not leave a good impression on him.

“When Weiler came to Al Ahly, he excluded me from the team squad and asked me to train at the gym. I said no and that was the start of my problems,” said Gomaa as reported by Kingfut.

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“Weiler is a very good coach, he’s better than Mosimane. Mosimane was luckier but I think he’s deceptive. If Weiler stayed as long as Pitso did, he would have won the same titles."

Gomaa managed 53 league games while scoring eight goals for Al Ahly during a largely underwhelming five-year stint but still left after winning six trophies, among them five Egyptian Premier League titles.

Swiss coach Weiler lasted a year at Al Ahly 2019-2020, leaving in October 2020 after winning the Egyptian Premier League and Super Cup, following fears over the Covid-19 outbreak in the country before he was replaced by Mosimane.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach guided the Red Devils to five trophies, two Caf Champions Leagues and as many Caf Super Cups as well as the Egyptian Cup. He left the club in June, just days after failing to make it three straight continental titles when Al Ahly lost to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the final.

Gomaa’s sentiments come just days after Pharco FC defender Ahmed Mody claimed Al Ahly players told him that Mosimane was a ‘mediocre’ coach.

"Some of the Al Ahly players told me that Pitso Mosimane is a mediocre coach and only wins by luck. I supported his decision to leave the club," said Mody.

Following Mosimane’s departure, the Egyptian giants sought the services of Portuguese coach Ricardo Soares but he was dismissed less than three months into the job, after the club failed to wrestle the Egyptian Premier League title back from rivals Zamalek.

Al Ahly hired Swiss coach Marcel Koller to replace Soares last week.