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Pitso Mosimane says he turned down Bafana job to stay at Al Ahly

Al Ahly manager Pitso Mosimane has told Egyptian media that he was offered the South Africa national team job when the position was vacant recently, but that he turned it down.

Mosimane, who left Mamelodi Sundowns in September last year in order to join the Egyptian giants, led Al Ahly to CAF Champions League glory in his first season.

The 56-year-old says he was offered the then-vacant Bafana job earlier this year when Molefi Ntseki left the post, but despite the 'big' offer, he turned it down. Belgian Hugo Broos has since taken the job.

"The SA national team made me a six-year offer worth a very high sum," Mosimane, who was the Bafana coach from 2010 to 2012, told Al Ahly TV, according to Kingfut.

"Everyone told me that results were not going so well with Al Ahly in that period and I should take the easy route and the money from SA.

"Despite having only two years remaining in my deal with Al Ahly I chose to continue because I want to win the Champions League again and achieve more titles with the club.

"I informed [Al Ahly president Mahmoud] El-Khatib that I am staying with the team. In SA, all people wanted me there but I preferred to stay with Al Ahly as it's a big opportunity for me."

Al Ahly are second in the Egyptian Premier League, and are still in contention for the continental grand prize, facing ES Tunis in the semifinals on June 19 and 26.

Meanwhile, his former side Sundowns, where he had been in charge for eight years, recently won the South African Premiership. As such, he could come up against his former charges in next season's Champions League.

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