Speaking exclusively to KickOff, MT Sports Marketing and Management's Moira Tlhagale provided insight into the two jobs that currently interest Pitso Mosimane and shed light on his decision to turn down a long-term contract at Abha Club.
In the first instalment of a four-part interview, we spoke to the football agent and entrepreneur about her experiences of building 10 stadiums for the 2010 World Cup and being hijacked.
In the second part, we delved into the conditions necessary for Pitso Mosimane to return to the DStv Premiership and so much more.
The former Abha Club coach, one of the most sought-after managers in Africa, has seen his short-term deal with the Saudi club spark interest from numerous clubs.
Local media reports linked Mosimane with a move to Kaizer Chiefs earlier this year, while Egyptian publications continue to suggest that the head coach could return to North Africa.
Surprisingly, in Part 3 of this interview, Tlhagale revealed that a national team role was the target for Pitso and his technical team. While speaking to KickOff, she also shed light on another role that interests the 59-year-old.
We've recently seen you mention that the mandate is a national team. Why a national team?
"I think because coach Pitso, when he looks at it, he has not really coached at the World Cup. I think it's something that he would want to do. The main thing that he also wanted to get on his CV again was the Club World Cup. Yes, that's also one of the things he still wants to achieve, definitely the World Cup or even an experience of coaching in your AFCON or Asia. So, I think that's why those opportunities only really come when you are in the national team. But I think the Club World Cup, it's thrice he's experienced it. I think he would be very happy if he could have that title under his belt. Definitely also your national team competitions. This is not myself saying that Pitso only wants these two jobs, we are open to the right project."
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You have previously mentioned that Abha Club wanted Pitso Mosimane to sign an 18-month contract, but you chose to go for a six-month contract. Can you walk me through that process of negotiations as to how things unfold if the club wants one thing and you want another thing? How do you both come out happy or satisfied?
"Yeah, that's why I said to you it's sometimes for coach Pitso it is not about money, all decisions are not driven by the money, right? So, what you ordinarily would do is to check and say in this market, what is the cost of a loaf of bread? And this is generally the cost of a loaf of bread. Therefore, if I buy bread at a garage, buy bread at Shoprite, buy bread at Woolworths, there are different costs to it. But on average, this is the cost. Then if somebody comes to you and says no, but I'm going to give you the same thing for far more expensive, then you say no, but it's not worth it. Instead of maybe buying that loaf of bread, I'll just get a slice for now. So, for me, I do a lot of research, I don't negotiate in any way, I do a lot of research of what's happening in the market, what's happening in that area. I do have a lot of networks also of people that I know then you benchmark to say yes you compared different clubs based on the measurement of we've got big clubs, we've got medium clubs, we've got small clubs, but all said and done. What is the benchmark of what the clubs would pay your coaches, etc., and so for us, I think it was important, for obviously Pitso wants to coach. I mean, Pitso does not want to be sitting doing nothing, he wants to coach and when the opportunity came, there were just certain terms that did not fit into a minimum objective that I needed to agree with, for the next 12 months.
"Then we said, 'No, if anything, we're happy to come and help the team not to be relegated'. I think it was a very difficult task. It is really, the guy is very brave. I asked them, I said, 'guys, are you strong?' So they say we want to take the challenge, and we have got to support them and they have taken that challenge, and it's just because we couldn't really agree on the next 12 months terms. It's very difficult and I understand also from the club's point of view, you are trying to help us not to be relegated. We are in the relegation zone and then now we are fighting about what you're going to pay me if you are not relegated. So it's very difficult to negotiate that, because what was easier for us, in Saudi Al Ahli, it was like your mandate is to promote us, not to win the league. If you promote us, you continue with us. It's simple because if you don't promote us, that is end of the contract. So I think we found that one was a little bit easier, you know. But, also, I think we just thought, let's just help for the four months, and they were quite happy with the four because this thing could have just actually ended. I came up with that suggestion, instead of saying goodbye, thank you, we're not agreeing on the next 12 months. Let's just do the four months."
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You recently claimed victory in your drawn-out saga with Al Ahli. How did the situation arise, where the club seemingly wanted to get away with not following many of the clauses in the contract?
"I don't know. I think that's why we've got the FIFA processes. Sometimes people see things in a way that we don't see them. Sometimes we might think that we are correct and maybe we are wrong sometimes, perhaps they thought they were correct and we are wrong. Imagine coach Pitso being able to motivate his staff, technical team, including players, and not only do they promote the team but they are able to win the league, without payment. But the guy has got a totally different focus. He says this is my objective to take this team back to where it belongs. So, no, I don't want this conversation ever to be, 'You didn't pay me. I paid you and whatnot'."
Interestingly, Pitso has previously said that, often, he only finds out about stuff much later when he eventually asks you about it, like, "Oh, did this club do this?", and then you'd say "yes", and he'd respond "Oh, I didn't even know". Why do you choose that keep information from and his team around him?
"Sometimes things are real, sometimes things are not real. You know, in this world of being an agent, there's a lot of people who see an opportunity. Let me give you an example. Maybe everybody knows that a coach in Timbuktu is being fired, and Pitso is not working or his contract is coming to an end. Literally, I can get 100 calls, people claiming that they are agents and that I must give them a mandate, and they know the president of a certain club. Imagine every time this happens now, I'm telling my clients that this is what's happening. No, I need to sift through it all, and for me, up until I speak to the officials of the club, it's not a deal. I'll tell you weeks ago I was getting a lot of calls from people like you guys saying there was a big thing, now that Pitso is 'going to Wydad'. I'm thinking, 'Oh, I didn't know that'. I must say even today, I don't know about it. They've never contacted me, but it was a big story for almost two weeks or so. I only talk about real things, and I try and do my work, and I see whether the thing is real sometimes. Yes, clubs have called me, but the terms just don't make sense. So they need to be focused on the job at hand, isn't it? You know, instead of me now exciting them about things that are not necessarily factual."
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