Former Orlando Pirates and Qatar coach explains challenges faced by Pitso Mosimane at Esteghlal - 'They are comparable to Kaizer Chiefs'

Former Orlando Pirates coach Roger De Sa has explained why veteran mentor Pitso Mosimane is experiencing a tough start to life at the Iranian club Esteghlal FC.

Mosimane joined the Persian Gulf Pro League giants along with his technical team two and a half weeks ago and things have not been going their way at the club. 

However, De Sa, who worked as an assistant coach at the Iranian national team, explained why the esteemed Mosimane is struggling to win games. 

"When you come to a team midway through the season, you can't make significant changes. There's no time to adjust, so he needs to just carry on. I believe he needs a bit of time and possibly an international training week. Maybe then, he could arrange a friendly match or two. It's always going to be difficult to step in like he did with a struggling team," De Sa told KickOff.

"I'm quite surprised that Pitso is facing these challenges. I thought he would be able to turn things around quickly. However, it also depends on the specific circumstances of the games they've played. Losing three in a row is tough.

"Esteghlal is a top team in Iran, among the elite, comparable to Kaizer Chiefs. They consistently compete in the Asian Cup and in the Champions League, and they usually have many international players. During my time with the Iranian national team, we had many players from Esteghlal," the former goalkeeper explained. 

"Sometimes it just takes one good result or a moment of magic for everything to change. It's still early days, and I'm sure they will give him more time to get things right. They should allow him around five games to start implementing changes," he added. 

"My message to him is to keep going and to keep believing. He shouldn't be fazed by the current situation. He should focus on his job, and everything will fall into place. This is the nature of football. You can't panic. It's not the end of the world. Pitso isn't dealing with a life-threatening issue. Just keep moving forward."

Mosimane has so far lost three matches since taking over the reigns as Esteghlal head coach. His side fell at the hands of Kheybar Khorramabad and Tractor in the league. 

Moreover, the Capital Blues Blue were gunned down by Neymar Jr's Al Hilal in the Western region group of the Champions League match recently. 

However, the former Bafana Bafana tactician is not a stranger to the Gulf Region as he managed several teams including Al Ahli Saudi and Abha FC in Saudi Arabia. 

Mosimane will be hoping to change Esteghlal's fortunes soon after the club's awful start to the season under Iranian coach Javad Nekounam. 

Esteghlal will be looking to improve on their disappointing 14th position on the league table when they meet Mes Rafsanjan on Saturday, November 9.