Why Pitso doesn’t think he will ever get a job in Europe

Pitso Mosimane belives he will never get the chance to coach in Europe, and has blasted the English Premier League for its lack of black head coaches.

Nuno Espirito Santo of Tottenham and Patrick Veira of Crystal Palace, both born in Africa, did start the EPL season, though Nuno has since been sacked by Spurs.

Mosimane, meanwhile has just come from finishing third at the Club World Cup with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the Red Devils thumping Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Abu Dhabi to claim the bronze medal.

ALSO READ: Mosimane’s agents slam negative rumours about Al Ahly contract situation

The former Sundowns mentor won the Caf Champions League twice with Al Ahly in the space of a year, and also finished third in the 2021 Fifa Club World Cup but even this was not enough for him to make the nominees for Fifa’s Coach of the Year Award.

Mosimane has long been a strong voice for black coaches all over the world, and had this to say to the South African Football Journalists Association on Wednesday, when asked if he thought he could ever get a job in Europe.

“You want to tell me that out of all the black coaches in England, no one can coach?” he said.

“It is unbelievable. Abedi Pele, Tony Yeboah, Dwight Yorke, John Barnes, where are they? You are telling me none of them can coach? We grew up looking at these people as heroes but we have yet to see one, even in the first division.”

Barnes did briefly coach Glasgow Celtic, the Jamaican national team and Tranmere Rovers, but Mosimane’s point remains valid, and is often discussed in the English game.

The Al Ahly head coach made reference to Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling, who has been outspoken against racism in football.

“I always refer back to football, the coaching staff you see around clubs. I’ll give a perfect one. There’s Steven Gerrard, your Frank Lampards, you have your Sol Campbells and you have your Ashley Coles,” Sterling told the BBC in 2020.

“All had great careers, all played for England. At the same time, they’ve all respectfully done their coaching badges to coach at the highest level and the two that haven’t been given the right opportunities are the two black former players,” he added, though Cole has recently joined head coach Lampard as a first team coach at Everton.

Mosimane added: “Let me stay in the continent and maybe in the Gulf (there are opportunities). We don’t need to do football in Europe.”

‘Jingles’ did make reference to the moment that Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel came over to talk to him after the Fifa Club World Cup final. A video emerged of the pair embracing with Mosimane wrapped in a South African flag.

“Tuchel humbled me, I was minding my own business and he walked up to me and it was unbelievable what he said to me. This is a guy that won the Champions League, what he said was amazing.

“I had a meeting with Arsene Wenger that lasted one and a half hours. Didier Drogba, John Terry, Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger, if you hear them sepak, they know everything. You are being acknowledged for the job you do. So we will meet in Club World Cups. It is ok.”