Real Madrid had to wait 12 years for the 10th of their continental titles. That might have made clinching “La Decima” in 2014 all the sweeter, but Egypt’s Al-Ahly could get the last of their 10 in less than eight months in Casablanca on Saturday. Millions of fans in Egypt are talking about Al-Aashir and whether number 10 will come home this weekend.
The Egyptian titans won the ninth CAF Champions League last November, defeating rivals Zamalek in the final. And while South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs, the opposition on Saturday, come from the opposite end of the continent, the game gives Al-Ahly another chance to get one over on their Cairo neighbours. Winning title number 10 will give the Red Giants twice as many African crowns as Zamalek. No wonder that Zamalek fans are hoping that the Chiefs win.
It is more hope than expectation, however, as Al-Ahly, unbeaten in their past 11 games, are a favorites. With 42 Egyptian league titles and unparalleled continental experience, this winning machine also finished third in FIFA’s Club World Cup in February, beating South American champions Palmeiras.
Kaizer Chiefs, by contrast, struggled to eighth at the end of this season in the South African Premier Division and have not won a major trophy in the past six years. This game is the first in charge for veteran British coach Stuart Baxter since he returned to his former club in June, following the dismissal of Gavin Hunt. Victory in Casablanca would give the well-travelled Baxter some redemption after being fired by Indian club Odisha FC in February for making offensive remarks after a game.
Victory would also give the South African Al-Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane plenty to smile about after being criticised by former Al-Ahly players such as Mohamed Emara and Reda Abdel Aal. “There will always be legends who played here who feel that you took their opportunity and say: ‘Why him and not us?’” Mosimane told Arab News in February. “It is normal for ex-players to give their opinion. They played here and I did not, so you have to respect that. We won the cup, the league and the Champions League so it is not about who says what.”
“I am lucky to be the first foreign coach not from Europe or South America but Sub-Sahara,” Mosimane said. “This is an opportunity, but the team asked for me, I did not apply. They had not won the Champions League for years but believed I could win it for them, and we won it thanks to the players, the fans and the club. I have the support of the club, and if others think they could do better, then they can have that opinion.”
It remains to be seen how long the 56-year-old stays in Cairo but his spell could well be a significant one. If he achieves the “double treble” — or at least gets a third Champions League title — then his stock around the continent will be sky-high and it would also help the reputation of sub-Saharan coaches in North Africa.
Take a look at the dugouts in the big leagues of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, and you will see plenty of local tacticians, a few from elsewhere in the region and some Europeans. Mosimane has shown that it is worth looking further afield.
However, to win on Saturday evening he has to overcome the team he supported as a boy, one that represents his homeland.
“I’m playing against my home country, so I’m conflicted,” said Mosimane. “Yes, I am patriotic but I must look after my family first. I must look after the people who pay my salary and allow [me to pay for] my children to go to school, so I have an obligation. When I’m here, I’m wearing two hats, a South African hat, but also an Egyptian hat. The Egyptian one comes first at this point in time, but when I’m back in South Africa it will be South African.”
Perhaps when he does return home Pitso Mosimane will leave behind not only a number of trophies in Cairo, but also a legacy for change in North African football in general.
