Al Ahly boss Pitso Mosimane has responded to claims that he wants to destabilise the South African Mamelodi Sundowns FC and affirmed he has left behind a marvelous squad, according to South African website Kickoff.
Several news outlets have put Mosimane under the microscope after the Red Devils' public pursuit of the Uruguayan Gaston Sirino, but having already explained that Al Ahly wanted Sirino before he took charge, he's also poured cold water on the Themba Zwane links.
The two-time CAF Champions League winner cited his Sundowns signing players from their DStv Premiership rivals and said it should not be taken personally as professionalism is part of modern football.
"He [Sirino] wants to play for Ahly, that's a fact, Sundowns knows it's not Pitso but there are emotions that it might be linked to me, there are stories that I want to take Themba Zwane and all that," he said to SAFJA.
"I don't have anything to do with Mamelodi Sundowns but the opportunities are there for anyone who wants to take. So as Al Ahly signs players, Sundowns sign [Peter] Shalulile and [Kermit] Erasmus,"
"It's football, it's an ecosystem, players are signed from Al Ahly in the Premier League, Ramadan Sobhi and all that, it's an ecosystem," he added.
"The other teams in South Africa take from the youth and first pision and Sundowns take from there, Percy [Tau] and Keagan [Dolly] is a story everyone followed. Even here [at Al Ahly] we have players that want to go,"
"We're going to lose players because it's an ecosystem and players need to get opportunities to play. Sirino is 29 years old, it's his last chance maybe, so he's fighting for that but he has to do it the right way." he explained.
"If Sundowns want to release Sirino they can, if they don't want, they don't want. I know how I got Kermit Erasmus at Sundowns, I signed all those players, all of them. All of those players I've signed at Mamelodi Sundowns, Shalulile, everybody. I made sure I leave the team in a better place," Mosimane continued.
"I wouldn't want anyone to come into Sundowns and say they had to start again, I left everything. Everything you see at Sundowns, I've left it. Shalulile, Erasmus, I personally recruited them because I could see they could add value,"
"Kermit, I have a history of him when he was 13, 14 years old and I knew what was going to happen when I was building that team to be stronger. I told you I was rebuilding even after the treble, that it was going to be a very strong [squad].
"They have hotshots, hot strikers, people who can score goals. You can see the movie is going on, it's continuing, so just enjoy the ride. Manqoba knows he must just have coffee and enjoy a cigar." he concluded.
Follow the latest news on Google News
