Former AmaZulu owner Lunga Sokhela has revealed that a decade ago he tried to recruit Pitso Mosimane to become the Usuthu coach.
Back in 2012, Mosimane was unemployed following his exit as Bafana Bafana coach. Meanwhile, AmaZulu had decided to part ways with coach Roger Palmgren.
The Swedish coach was in charge for a year, having first joined Usuthu as their director of football, before he replaced Mosimane’s former right-hand man, Manqoba Mngqithi, in 2011.
But it wasn’t a successful start to the 2012/2013 campaign and Sokhela revealed this week that Mosimane had been his target to be the new boss to try to guide the then-bottom placed side to safety.
However, Sokhela was too late, and Mosimane had already been approached to replace Johan Neeskens at Mamelodi Sundowns. Mosimane took over from the Dutch legend, and the rest, as they say, is history.
And of course, Mngqithi would join him there as his assistant. They would go on to win multiple titles at Chloorkop, including the CAF Champions League in 2016, before Mosimane headed to Egypt, joining Egyptian giants Al Ahly, where he won two more CAF Champions League winners medals. He is now the head coach of Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Usuthu appointed Craig Rosslee, who did manage to rescue them that season, as they eventually ended 12th.
“One thing people don’t know is that just before you joined Downs, I gave you a call to join Usuthu,” Sokhela said to Mosimane on social media this week.
“Your response was you were honoured for the call but unfortunately we were late.
“I always wonder what could’ve been. Great coach.”
