Bafana Bafana vs Eritrea: Pitso Mosimane set for Cairo ‘homecoming’

Pitso Mosimane’s return to Cairo is also a chance to reflect on his legacy as a coach.

He will oversee Bafana Bafana’s clash against Eritrea today (30 September) during the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

With a friendly clash against Egypt also around the corner, here’s why his homecoming matters.

Pitso Mosimane and the Cairo connection

In September 2020, Mosimane was appointed as the coach of Al Ahly SC, serving almost two years with the club.

One side of his time in Cairo was marked by domestic and continental success.

Under Mosimane’s guidance, the club claimed back-to-back CAF Champions League titles and won the CAF Super Cup.

He also led the club to consecutive bronze medals in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Domestically, Mosimane and Al Ahly claimed the Egyptian Premier League and Egypt Cup trophies.

Multiple websites recognise his statistics as follows: 97 matches, 65 wins, 22 draws, and 10 losses.

However, tension marred Mosimane’s tenure in Egypt despite his impressive results.

A 2021 report by The New Arab cited the intense criticism of the South African coach, despite what he had achieved.

Egypt icon Mido hit back at the critics on his podcast, as reported by KickOff, calling the attacks on Mosimane racist.

“If he was a European, he would not have been subjected to this criticism.”

A return to Cairo with a bigger goal

Mosimane departed Al Ahly by mutual consent in June 2022, having asked to be released from his contract.

At the time, a club statement said the South African was “satisfied with the achievements he managed to accomplish.”

Mosimane then spent the next few years managing teams in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.

His journey eventually came full circle when he was appointed Bafana Bafana coach in September this year.

He was at the helm for South Africa’s 2027 AFCON qualifier win over Guinea, and leads the team into action against Eritrea in Cairo today (Wednesday).

Bafana Bafana will remain in the city for a friendly against Egypt on 4 October (Sunday).

Mosimane has bigger goals than the last time he was in Cairo, but could also be looking to the two upcoming games as a chance to clean the slate.

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