Pitso Mosimane was ready to leave Sundowns even before the Al Ahly offer, hears court

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This was revealed by MT Sports managing director Moira Tlhagale during her testimony before Judge Shanaaz Mia at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday.

Tlhagale said several issues, including a demand by Sundowns for Mosimane to apologise over the media comments he made at the time, were behind his desire to walk away.

READ: Why Mamelodi Sundowns want Pitso Mosimane to apologise

Recalling the events that led to their departure, just a few weeks after Mosimane had led Sundowns to their fifth league title and third in a row, Tlhalgale, who is Mosimane’s manager, revealed the gist of the tension between the coach and the club at the time.

During the cross-examination of Sundowns Director Dr Rejoice Simelane on Thursday, it transpired that Mosimane’s comments shortly after winning a domestic treble in 2019/20 were the focal point of this apology.

“There were people within the club that didn’t want me to win the league title,” Mosimane is reported to have said.

Tlhagale, also Mosimane’s wife, recalled a meeting at the African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) offices with then Sundowns president and now CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe to try and find a solution to these challenges.

“The meeting was at the ARM offices between myself, the president [Patrice Motsepe], and the coach [Pitso Mosimane]. The president highlighted that there seemed to be a lot of commotion in the club with the coach,” she noted during her testimony.

“The president said, what was more important for him was the relationship between the families [Motsepe and Mosimane] rather than the relationship between the coach and the club. He said it was very important that personal relationships are protected.

“My lady, during the discussions, for me, it became clear that the president was also referring to the comments the coach made that day, and the fact that – from his point of view – he expected the coach to make an apology on the statement he made, to which the coach then said no. At the time, the coach felt he did not need to apologise.”

As he continued to lead the evidence, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi asked Tlhagale to explain the reasons behind the meeting they requested with the president.

“At that time [29 September 2020], as we were driving to Durban for holidays, the coach had decided, based on the president’s comments, that it’s more important to protect the personal relationship than that of the club.

“So the coach felt that maybe it was time for him to ask the president to release him because he was not willing to agree to that statement, which was also based on legal advice,” Tlhagale continued.

“At the meeting, I started by telling the president that we reflected on the meeting we had with him on 15 September, as well as his comments, and the coach had now decided that it’s best he leaves the employ of Mamelodi Sundowns.

“On Friday [25 September], prior to the meeting on Tuesday [29 September], I then got an official call from Al Ahly, saying that they want to get Coach Pitso’s services.

“I must say, my lady, that the president was taken aback by the decision of the coach, that if he did not get released by the club, he was ready to walk away regardless.

“The president was obviously not happy with that issue. I would say he was surprised and shocked, but obviously there was that reaction because it was for the first time that he understood the coach’s position of wanting to leave the club.”

The court case will now resume on 3 June 2024, when Tlhagale will be cross-examined by Sundowns legal team, while Mosimane is also expected to take to the witness stand.