Former Al Ahli head coach opens up on Saudi interest in Mamelodi Sundowns star and reveals admiration for Orlando Pirates' transfer business

Former Al Ahli head coach Pitso Mosimane has opened up on Saudi interest in Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners. 

Then, Rayners was at Stellenbosch, and the Premier Soccer League-winning head coach wanted the forward while he was in charge of the Saudi Arabian outfit, Abha Club.

Mosimane was in charge of Abha between January and June 2024 and could not land the Bafana Bafana forward, who eventually joined Masandawana from Stellies in August 2024.

“Ngolo Kante is playing there, Cristiano Ronaldo – we can go on and on and name many players who play in the Gulf. Now, we have players in Saudi, and then you can remember what I said, that we have a Saudi product,” Mosimane said, as per FARPost.

“When I was in Saudi, I did everything I could to get South African players on board. There was a chance to bring Iqraam Rayners when he was at Stellenbosch. I believed that he could crack the market.

"Also, Stellenbosch are a very progressive team in terms of giving opportunities to players, but the challenge was that we couldn’t do it at the last minute because they couldn’t find a replacement, and I understood," he added. 

“They didn’t have strikers. Yeah, it was an opportunity lost for both him and myself also to bring a South African on board.  But I don’t think it should end there; South African players can still go to the Gulf. The challenge is that it’s not easy.

"I think we should ask Orlando Pirates how they do it right, and probably many teams can follow because they are doing well now," the CAF Champions League winner concluded.

Two South African stars have so far sealed moves to Saudi Arabia; Mohau Nkota left Pirates before the current season began and joined Al-Ettifaq.

After falling down the pecking order, Elias Mokwana left Tunisian giants Esperance on loan to Al-Hazem.

When Nkota transferred to the Middle East, Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was sceptical, as he said that he is not always happy when young players go to such leagues as the Saudi Arabian one.

“I followed a little, but because he plays in the team of Kopano [Melesi], the physical [conditioning] coach, we have good information about him. He played all the friendly games; I watched a game. I was surprised I could see a pre-season game and an Italian team, and he played well,” Broos said then. 

“I heard everything goes well with him there, so why not take him, and we will see – let’s hope for him it can go on the same level he had in Pirates.

“I’m not so happy when young players go to such teams, but okay, it’s a choice he made; let’s hope everything goes on how it’s been going now.”

Ironically, after a good run with Al-Hazem, Broos called up Mokwana as Bafana prepare for the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.  

"In the past months, we looked at several games of Elias in Al-Hazem, and he was playing very well even though he didn’t really play in his position," said Broos as he defended Mokwana's selection despite his initial doubt about the standards of the Saudi Pro League. 

"They use him as a striker, as a central striker. But that also means for us that if we need someone there, we can always use Elias.

"On the other hand, he’s in very good shape, and you know I like wingers who are very quick, I like wingers who have action, and I think Elias is someone like that."

Nkota is also among the players named to carry the country's aspirations in the upcoming continental finals.