Following his relegation with Abha Club from the Saudi Pro League, Wydad Casablanca fans are rubbing their hands in glee, hoping their club will pull all the stops to bring Pitso Mosimane on board.
The Moroccan giants have had what can only be described as a diabolic season by their standards, currently lying in seventh spot on the table with one match to go before the season is wrapped up.
That means one thing: no CAF Champions League or even CAF Confederation Cup football next term.
READ | OFFICIAL: Chelsea release SA-linked defender
Another certainty is that the club will definitely have a new coach in charge to try and restore their dignity in Moroccan and, by extension, African football, having won the Champions League as recently as 2022, before becoming runners-up the following year.
Their slide to mediocrity is hard to fathom, more so for their fans, who now want their coach, Aziz Ben Askar, gone and for a new man be appointed to the hot-seat.
Moroccan news outlet LeSiteinfo.com has quoted a source saying the the administrative office of Wydad is busy looking at options for a successor to the 48-year-old.
Two names that have come up as those that the club could be interested in initiating talks with are those of Hussein Ammouta and Mosimane.
It is believed that Wydad could try and convince 'Jingles' to take up a challenge at a club he will be fighting for titles, rather than the hard slog that is trying to promote a team from a lower division, as in the case of Abha.
The only sticking point, it is feared, could be the financial demands of the former Bafana Bafana coach, but the club management are understood to be of the belief the project would excite Mosimane to the point of even accepting a lower offer.
During his days as Mamelodi Sundowns coach, the soon-to-be 60-year-old enjoyed a rivalry with Wydad, including their fans, who were initially hostile towards him after comments he had made about their club when they visited Atteridgeville Stadium.
"The North Africans, they are always bullying everybody. Always. They bully referees, they bully everybody. They don't want to lose. They are gonna lose tonight, we beat them fair and square, two legitimate goals, they must go home," charged a furious Mosimane.
However, with time, mutual respect developed between the two parties, so much so that whenever he and Downs visited on Champions League assignment, they would treat him like a king and display banners with his name written in bold letters.
READ: Pirates star speaks out on lack of playing time
Whether Wydad is a project that excites the outspoken coach enough remains to be seen, as he is currently back in South Africa to enjoy off-season with his family before pondering the next move.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
Click HERE to register!