South African Mosimane appointed as Esteghlal head coach
South African Pitso Mosimane was named as the new head coach of Esteghlal, the Persian Gulf Pro League club confirmed late on Friday.
Mosimane will join up with his new team in Dubai for Tuesday’s encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite.
“Esteghlal F.C. is a very big club in the [Persian} Gulf region, with a long and illustrious history. The two Asian Champions League stars on top of their badge tell you what kind of club this is,” Mosimane said in a statement.
“Their last trophy was won in 2022, and we can believe their fans are hungry for glory once again. The challenge that awaits us is steep, but it is our privilege to lead such a prolific club. I would like to thank the club leadership for placing their trust in us. We are ready to get to work,” added the South African, who will be joined by four members of his technical staff in the new job.
His appointment brings an end to the Tehran Blues’ desperate search for a permanent coach in recent weeks, after Javad Nekounam stepped down from his role in late September.
Nekounam, who led the club to a runner-up finish in the league behind archrival Persepolis last season, endured a poor start to the new campaign, with his team managing two wins in seven outings, while suffering three losses including the defeats in the Tehran Derby and against Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League Elite in Nekounam’s last two games in charge.
Former Esteghlal center-back Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh served as an interim coach over the past three weeks, leading the Blues to a 2-1 win at Havadar before a dreadful 3-0 loss to Zob Ahan at home on Friday saw them sit 11th in the league table – eight points adrift of the top.
Mosimane’s last job was at Abha, though it was one to forget as his team was relegated from the Saudi Pro League last season.
However, Esteghlal hierarchy still hopes the 60-year-old, an ex-head coach of his national team, can build on a decorated career in African club football to restore the good old days for the Blues.
Mosimane steered Mamelodi Sundowns to five top-flight titles in his home country, as well as the 2016 CAF Champions League crown, during his six-year stint with the club, before joining Egypt’s Al Ahly in 2020, where he won a domestic league and cup double in his first season.
the first non-Egyptian African to manage Al Ahly, Mosimane also lifted back-to-back CAF Champions League trophies with the Cairo-based heavyweight in 2020 and 2021, while his team finished third in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar thanks to a shootout victory over Brazil’s Palmeiras.