If constant success in the Caf Champions League is not enough to convince European teams to give Pitso Mosimane a chance, nothing will, writes SASoccerMag’s DEAN WORKMAN.
The South African coach has enjoyed unparalleled success in his time both at Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly and has undoubtedly become the greatest South African coach – and possibly the best the African continent has ever produced.
However, even the coach himself believes this success won’t earn him an opportunity in Europe.
“Those are fairytale stories that will never happen,” Mosimane told the South Africa Football Journalists Association (Safja).
“I know for a fact that it will never happen but, in life, never say never. I was speaking to Dwight Yorke one time where we worked at the World Cup alongside Owen Hargreaves, Jay-Jay Okocha and all these pundits.
“And Dwight said to me, forget about Europe. If we scored goals in the Champions League and created so much history at Manchester United, we have Uefa badges that we obtained, and you will never get it,” Mosimane added.
“Are you telling me that of all the black coaches in Europe, nobody can coach? Are you serious, I mean really?
“All these guys who won the Champions League and all that, it is unbelievable.
“So, ‘Ke sharp ka Europe bafowethu’ [I’m fine with not going to Europe], let me stay on the continent and probably the Gulf [region] because there is also an opportunity, at least our footprint is in the Gulf,” the 57-year-old from Kagiso concluded.
The former Bafana Bafana coach is completely correct: he is far better off served making millions somewhere else, he has earned it.
Currently Patrick Vieira is the only black manager in England’s top flight, doing a fantastic job with the Eagles by applying a new attacking brand of football which has dramatically improved their results this season.
However, he is not the first to enjoy success. Ruud Gulit, Chris Hughton, Paul Ince, Nuno Espirto Santo are just four of the nine managers to have taken charge in the league. Yip, just nine.
The English Football League (EFL) introduced its own version of the NFL’s ‘Rooney Rule’ in 2019 in order for clubs to interview at least one Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidate for any first-team managerial position. It doesn’t mean they have to appoint them, though.
Drawing on what Mosimane said, there have been numerous players to have enjoyed success on the field but don’t get the opportunity to coach.
Clarence Seedof, after his retirement, took charge of AC Milan in 2014 but was sacked just four months into a two-and-a-half-year contract and he says it’s all down to unequal opportunities.
Seedorf has also managed Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna, Chinese Super League side Shenzhen and Cameroon but said he has not received any calls about vacant positions since leaving the national team two years ago.
“I played 12 years in Italy: after [coaching] Milan, despite having done a great job, I received no calls,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Holland is my country, yet again, zero calls.
“What are the selection criteria? Why do great champions have no chance in Europe where they wrote pages of football history?
“Why does Vieira have to go to New York and Henry to Canada? [Patrick Vieira managed New York City FC between 2016-18 while Thierry Henry was the manager of MLS side Montreal].
“For coaches there are no equal opportunities: if we look at the figures, there are no black people in the positions of greatest power in football.
“It’s something that concerns the whole of society. Everyone, especially those who can change things, must feel the responsibility to create a meritocratic world and keep all the doors open if they aspire to excellence.
“The best results can come from diversity.”
Sadly, this type of diversity and opportunities for black coaches, no matter how good they have proven to be in Mosimane’s case, look to be years away. Perceptions need to change; it’s just taking way too long.