New Esteghlal FC head coach Pitso Mosimane has confirmed that delay in arrival time as well as paperwork prevented him from being in the dugout to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League.
Esteghlal lost the match 1-0 courtesy of an 81st minute strike from former Manchester City left-back Aymeric Laporte to get their campaign off to a great start.
The three-time CAF Champions League winning coach was confirmed as the new head coach of the nine-time Iranian league champions last week Friday after being in the football wilderness for a few months after leaving Saudi Arabian side Abha FC upon their relegation from the Saudi Pro League.
Speaking to Robert Marawa on 947, Mosimane, 60, admitted that arriving on matchday as well as the signing of documents delayed the proceedings.
“Timing, contracts signed, contracts sealed – paperwork from the office,” Mosimane said when quizzed on the delay for his possible debut match.
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“Also, you can’t just leave in the evening because we arrive on the morning of the match.
“The match is in the evening, we arrive in the morning. I mean what impact can you do besides greeting people? That’s what made this.
“Because we don’t go for one game of playing Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane’s team. I mean if you look at that group, you ask yourself where else can you be.
The former Al Ahly mentor also touched on what it means for him to head back to the Middle East with all the big star players in football having flocked there.
“I meant the next one you facing [Khalidou] Koulibaly, [Édouard] Mendy, [Roberto Firmino] Bobby, Riyadh Mahrez. So, now you tell me which one is better? he further said.
“Than you have [Aleksandar] Mitrović in [Al] Hilal the champions of Asia the next one. You can’t ask for more, there’s nothing bigger than that.
“All this big stars who leave Europe to go to the Gulf, it’s the champions of the champions. I mean really it’s a baptism of fire.
“But let’s go in there. And We have a chance, we have a good team. At the moment the team is not in top shape.
“Big team. Won Champions League two times, so it came second last year. One of the biggest teams in the Middle East.
“You can’t turn that down. Esteghlal is huge,” he added.