South African coach Pitso Mosimane, now in charge of Iran’s Esteghlal FC, has expressed respect for Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal ahead of their AFC Champions League clash.
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Esteghlal are set to face Al Hilal on Monday, 4 November at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, marking Mosimane’s first continental match with the Iranian side.
Kick-off is at 20:00 (SA time)
The match is part of the fourth round in the Asian Champions League’s elite stage.
While Al Hilal have a perfect record to date and sit top of the 12-team West standings, Esteghlal have managed just three points (one win, two defeats) from their first three games and lie sixth.
In a press conference ahead of kick-off, Mosimane told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat: “Facing Al Hilal will be tough. My team hasn’t been in top form recently, and we’re up against a very strong side with a lot of star players, so it certainly won’t be easy.
“We’ll need to play with confidence and show that we can compete with Al Hilal.”
When asked about his goals for Esteghlal against Al Hilal, Pitso Mosimane responded, “I know winning won’t be easy. We respect our opponent, but I hope we don’t show them too much respect. I want my team to perform to the best of its ability.”
Meanwhile, Mosimane led Al Ahly to a 4-0 defeat of Al Hilal in their only previous encounter during the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.
How interested are you in following Pitso Mosimane’s progress in Iran?
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