Mosimane joined the Egyptian outfit from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he spent eight successful years. Despite signing a five-year contract with the Brazilians at the time, Mosimane jumped at the opportunity when the African Club of the Century came calling.
It came as a surprise when the club confirmed that it had parted ways with Weiler, especially after the coach led Ahly to the Egyptian League title as well as a CAF Champions League semi-final berth.
“When we felt that Weiler wants to leave the club amid COVID-19 pandemic. Also, there was a ten-day period in his contract allowing both parties to terminate the contract without a penalty clause,” El Khatib told Al Ahly’s official website.
“I met with Weiler and told him that we need stability in the team, but he asked for a vacation to visit his family. I asked him to renew his contract, but he was not clear, so I rejected his request as the time was not appropriate. I felt that Weiler does not want to continue with the team and he refused to renew his contract, so I held a meeting with the planning committee and discussed the alternatives with Zakaria Nassef and Mohsen Saleh,” El Khatib said.
El Khatib revealed how Mosimane stood head and shoulders above candidates from around the world, but it was ‘Jingles’ experience in Africa that set him apart from his peers.
“We had many candidates from Czech Republic and Argentina, but I suggested searching for a head coach who has much experience in Africa. We started thinking out of the box and Mosimane was among our top four candidates for the job.
“Mosimane had the strongest resumé as he is a very good coach and faced many challenges with the teams he coached. He was in charge of Mamelodi Sundowns for eight years and renewed his contract for another five years.
“When we became sure that Mosimane suits us, I contacted him and he was happy with our offer, and his desire played a great role in the negotiations,” El Khatib explained.
