Pitso Mosimane has conducted his first raid of Mamelodi Sundowns human resources since leaving the club for Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
Mosimane has recruited Sudowns performance analyst Musi Matlaba as well as Fitness trainer Kabelo Rangoaga for his new technical team in Cairo.
Pitso Mosimane recruits Kabelo Rangoaga and Musi Matlaba
Al Ahly announced the pair had signed in a social media post on Friday 2 October with a caption that loosely translates to: “Arriving with a dream. Arriving with ambition.”
Rangoaga and Matlaba have been part of the Sundowns technical team under Mosimane for many years but their departures might signal wholesale changes to the backroom staff at Chloorkop.
The pair have signed two-year deals to keep them in Cairo until 2022 and are already in Egypt ready to begin working with Mosimane.
It is unclear at this stage if Mosimane intends to recruit more of his decorated coaching team or highly prized support staff that helped him win the PSL five times.
It has been reported that assistant coach Rhulani Mokwena is on his way to Cairo to link up with Mosimane, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Mokwena’s disastrous spell at the helm of Orlando Pirates at the outset of the 2019/20 season has likely ruled him out of succeeding Mosimane as head coach of the Brazilians, leaving Patrice Motsepe and the Sundowns board to rebuild.
Sundowns rebuilding
While the backroom staff appear fair game for recruitment considering the wholesale changes that will likely come with a new coach’s appointment, it is likely that Sundowns will resist selling the core members of their impressive squad.
At the moment Sundowns pre-season efforts are being directed by Manqoba Mngqithi who is also a candidate for the head coach job.
Club President Motsepe has confirmed that Jose Roman Alexanko will remain in place as Sundowns technical director and they are rumoured to be keen on giving the head coach post to a local coach.
Sundowns MDC coach David Notoane is believed to be set for a callup to the first-team coaching staff.
Mosimane’s task at Al Ahly
Mosimane joins Nadi Al Qarn knowing the standards of the club are incredibly high as he succeeds Swiss coach Rene Weiler in the job.
Weiler’s Egyptian assistant Samy Komsan appears set to stay on at Al-Ahly despite the rumoured arrival of Mokwena.
Al Ahly have won the last four editions of the Egyptian Premier League and are perennial contenders for the Caf Champions League.
