Following Pitso Mosimane's latest result in Iran, the South African manager has been praised for steering Esteghlal FC closer to success.
The Crown secured a 2-0 victory over Foolad FC in a Persian Gulf Pro League encounter on Saturday, with goals from Raphael da Silva Arruda and Amirali Sadeghi earning the visitors three vital points.
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Mosimane's tenure at the club began on a challenging note, as his team suffered three consecutive defeats. However, they have since turned their fortunes around, recording two wins and two draws in their last four matches.
This resurgence has sparked optimism among fans, who are increasingly hopeful about the club's future under the South African tactician.
Former Esteghlal star Edmond Akhtar, speaking to Football 360, reflected on the team's progress and expressed confidence in the potential under Mosimane's leadership.
"Esteghlal's upward trend has been evident, and it was fully visible in last night's game against Foolad," he said.
"The team has undergone a complete transformation since before the Asian games, and Mosimane's training camp has helped the team progress.
"Maybe Mosimane isn't a big name in the world, but he has shown that he is a coach who spends time with his team and has a plan for working with young players."
Akhtar also highlighted the team's attacking struggles before Mosimane's arrival and praised the improvements made under his guidance.
"The team's attacking line has been struggling for a long time, but now they have scored two goals in two consecutive games against Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia and Foolad Khuzestan, who have good defensive lines," he added.
"It's clear that since Mosimane took over, he has been looking to change the attacking line, but I don't want to talk about how [Arman] Ramezani and [Gustavo] Blanco were brought to the team. A team that succeeds has everyone performing well.
"Yesterday, Blanco didn't score, but he played well and even had an assist that was disallowed by VAR, which shows that this striker has worked hard and made an effort."
With 23-year-old Sadeghi finding the back of the net in the victory over Foolad, Akhtar also commended the former Mamelodi Sundowns boss for providing opportunities to younger players.
"Sadeghi was one of the young players who had been at Esteghlal for a long time but hadn't been given a chance," the former star stated.
"This opportunity given to him is very good, but the important thing is that Mosimane has given him this chance.
"If a foreign coach wants to give a young player a chance, no one can object.
"If a foreign coach plays a young player, they will face less pressure compared to an Iranian coach."
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