Cape Town - When Pitso Mosimane patrolled the Al Ahly technical area during the final of the Caf Champions League against Wydad AC in Casablanca at the end of May, no one would have imagined it would be the last time the South African coach would be in charge of the Egyptian giants.
On Sunday, Al Ahly were playing against a second-division outfit Al Masry Salloum in the Egyptian Cup, and Mosimane was nowhere to be seen. A depleted Al Ahly side won 1-0. No official explanation was forthcoming from the club.
Sadly Mosimane, who made history on several fronts during his 20-month stint with the Cairo-based club, will never be seen in the Red Devils' technical area again.
ALSO READ: Pitso Mosimane leaves Al Ahly after two years
It will come as music to the ears of some former vocal Al Ahly players and officials, who have been baying for his scalp - perhaps mostly unfairly.
The history books will show he guided Al Ahly to back-to-back Champions League titles and followed this up with a runner-up slot.
The second title was the 10th Champions League crown for Al Ahly, something no other club in Africa has achieved.
Under his guidance, Al Ahly bagged two consecutive Club World Cup bronze medals.
He won the Caf Super Cup twice and in domestic competition, he won the Egyptian Cup and Egyptian Super Cup.
All of that was not enough for his detractors.
ALSO READ: ‘Being your coach has been a dream come true,’ Pitso Mosimane writes to Al Ahly fans
Before the Champions League final defeat, Al Ahly won one of their last five games in the Egyptian Premier League. The rest ended in three draws and one defeat.
These results fuelled the anti-Mosimane brigade and by the time “Jingles” was called to reflect on the failed Champions League campaign and his tenure, he had had enough of Al Ahly.
“I don't know how I am doing it. Thanks to God I am still part of it," Mosimane said in an interview.
“Coaching has a lot of stresses and sicknesses. I've suffered from those things. I must tell you the truth.
“I've suffered from fatigue, and I've suffered from high-blood pressure. It's the nature of the business; it's the nature of the club.”
Once these words hit the airwaves, it was the cue for Mosimane's detractors to weigh in, and they sounded the death knell.
The calls for Mosimane's dismissal grew louder than ever.
ALSO READ: Pitso Mosimane linked with moves to Middle East
Former Al Ahly goalkeeper Amir Abdelhamid led the chorus: “Pitso Mosimane's statements have been strange lately.
“The things he said about how working at Al Ahly is difficult are completely unacceptable.
If you are a head coach at Al Ahly, you must deal with the media in an ideal way and say things that are rational.”
ALSO READ: ‘I’m disappointed in Pitso,’ says Hugo Broos after criticism from ex-Al Ahly coach
By this time the bigwigs at Al Ahly have had enough, and Mosimane had come to the end of his tether, too.
Over the weekend, the Al Ahly board had a meeting and later announced that Mosimane would continue as coach.
At the same meeting, Mosimane tabled his resignation along with that of his technical staff and at a second meeting, the board decided to accept his resignation.
There will be a postscript to the Mosimane/Al Ahly drama, and it will play itself out when Percy Tau's fate is decided.
He too came for a fair bit of criticism from Mosimane's detractors who say he is not good enough for Al Ahly.
@Herman_Gibbs