Mosimane Heads To Europe For Pre-Season

South African coach Pitso Mosimane will start his tenure with UAE side Al Wahda with a pre-season training camp in Serbia.

Mosimane was appointed by the UAE club until 2024, with the club having finished third in the UAE Pro League last season.

In an effort to improve the club next campaign, they have confirmed they will take their pre-season camp between 1 and 17 July to Serbia, as part of their preparation for the upcoming season, which will allow Mosimane to get to know all the players.  

They started preparation on Tuesday and on Saturday “players will undergo medical examinations and physical measurements before the intense pre-season starts”.

They have lined up friendly matches in Serbia, which will be Mosimane’s first in charge, but the opponents are yet to be known.

After pre-season, Al Wahda’s serious work will see them face Kuwait SC on 28 July in the Arab Club Champions Cup, which is known as King Salman Cup.

They will then face Algerian side CR Belouizdad, who Mamelodi Sundowns met in the CAF Champions quarter-finals, on 31 July, while on 3 August Mosimane will meet Raja CA – now coached by former Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer.

Al Wahda’s first UAE Pro League fixture will be against Al Bataeh on 18 August.

‘Jingles’ took this post after he left Saudi Arabian giants club Al Ahli despite leeding them promotion after he took the post in September last year.

Amid uncertainty around his future, and with the club one of the four Saudi sides, who are now massively backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Mosimane opted to walk away and look for greener pastures.

The move to Abu Dhabi came through a take over at Al Wahda, who have not won UAE Pro League since the 2009/10 season, with Mosimane insisting it is his target to bring silverware to the club.