A few days before the CAF Champions League final between Al-Ahly of Egypt and Wydad Sports Club, Africa Football United are interested in the coaches who have been crowned at least three times in the tournament. They are the only two to accomplish this feat. They are Manuel Jose and Pitso Mosimane.
Manuel Jose
Manuel Jose achieved his greatest success as coach of Al-Ahly in Cairo. With the legendary Cairo club, the Portuguese left legendary traces. Il a une grande valise à trophées avec le Club Africain, 20 au total dont 4 Ligues des Champions entre 2001 et 2011. Ses quatre consécrations en Ligue des Champions en 2001, 2005, 2006 et 2008 font de lui l’entraîneur le plus titré de The competition. For leading Al-Ahly in Cairo to the height of his glory, the Portuguese was honored by former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with a national medal on December 24, 2006.
Manuel Jose is the only coach to have won Africa’s most prestigious club competition four times so far. But on the evening of Monday, May 30, he could no longer be the only one to do so.
Bitso Mosimane
Pitso Mosimane is one mile behind Manuel Jose. South Africa won three UEFA Champions League titles (2016, 2020 and 2021). In 2016, he allowed Mamelodi Sundowns to win their first title in the competition, when the club failed to rise to that level despite the millions invested by owner Patrice Motsepe, current CAF President.
Mosiman’s success with Mamelodi Sundowns impressed the Cairo club, who gave themselves all means to recruit the 57-year-old magician, with the challenge of winning the Champions League. A challenge that Mosiman soon took on in his first season, defeating historic rivals Zamalek in the 2020 final. How impressive was that. Al-Ahly of Egypt is allowed to reoccupy Africa for the ninth time, after seven years of scarcity.
The following year, Pitso Mosimane won the Champions League for the third time in his career, and the second with Al-Ahly of Egypt. In Cairo, he won the respect and trust of the public within two years. And it’s not over. For the third year in a row, he takes Cairo National to the final. If successful, on Monday 30 May against Wydad Athletic, Pitso Mosimane will join Portuguese Manuel Jose, achieving four victories in the tournament. But he will be the first to win it three times in a row.
