Decorated coach Pitso Mosimane has shared his early impression of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals. The former Al-Wahda SC mentor was giving his verdict on the twists and turns witnessed at the Ivory Coast tournament.
MOSIMANE DISSECTS THE 2023 AFCON GAMES IN IVORY COAST
The Elephants of Ivory Coast opened the Afcon floor on January 13 2024, with a sound 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau. The real Afcon drama unfolded the following day when Equatorial Guinea gave pre-tournament favourites Nigeria’s Super Eagles a big scare. The underdogs not only went ahead but also managed to keep the Super Eagles at bay in this contest. The game ended one-all after Napoli striker Victor Osimhen cancelled out Ivan Salvador’s earlier goal for Equatorial Guinea. In another game played on Sunday, Cape Verde stunned fancied Ghana 2-1 whereas Mozambique held Egypt 2-2. It took Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah a last-gasp penalty for the Pharaohs to snatch a point.
WHAT MOSIMANE TOLD MLAMBO ABOUT AFCON MATCHES IN IVORY COAST
Reflecting on the three matches in Ivory Coast, Mosimane said the results show that games are played on the pitch. He observed that big names on paper do not automatically translate to success on the pitch. The former Al Ahly coach was directing his comment to SuperSport TV presenter Thomas Mlambo via X (formerly Twitter). Mosimane had previewed the Afcon matches in his role as a studio pundit. “Yesterday at the studio, I told you that Afcon can be very tricky,” Mosimane tweeted. “You can never look at the team-sheet full of high profiled players and think that the information you see there will guarantee you an expected result.”
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS GAINED FROM THE AFCON GAMES SO FAR?
The ex-Mamelodi Sundowns tactician then revealed the ingredients of the Afcon minnows’ success. Mosimane said: “Today’s three games teach us that in football, tactical discipline, organisation plus hard-work can match or defeat talented teams.” Bafana Bafana may wish to listen to the analysis of their former coach. The Hugo Broos side take on Mali on January 16 2024 in Ivory Coast. Mosimane recently expressed his wish to coach an Afcon-bound national team.
IS A RETURN TO SAUDI ARABIA IMMINENT FOR THE CELEBRATED COACH?
Mosimane parted ways with Al-Wahda in November 2023. The former SuperSport United boss has since been linked with a return to Saudi Arabia football landscape. Reports suggest that a team in Saudi Arabia has approached him. Mosimane coached another Saudi side, Al Ahli, last year. Al Ahli were then in the second-tier league. The CAF Champions League-winning coach steered Al Ahli back to the Saudi Pro League. However, after earning promotion, Al Ahli’s management insisted on bringing in another high-profile coach. Mosimane eventually joined Al-Wahda, but only spent four months with the United Arab Emirates side before leaving.
