Pitso Mosimane: Meet Africa's new king of the bench

On Sunday night in Alexandria, Pitso Mosimane, perhaps South Africa's most popular tactician, could barely hide his emotions. What he and his club had achieved was huge for South African football. "To come to Egypt and raise the trophy here … there no sweeter way to lift the trophy!" he beamed as he spoke to reporters after the game. "It's undisputable…we played here, and we lifted it here. So we really deserve to lift the trophy."

Mamelodi Sundowns' coach was the happiest coach in Africa, and he'd just become the hottest too. At the immense Borg El Arab Stadium, after an intense 90 minutes played against an intimidating mammoth crowd, the flamboyant South African trainer had sealed his reputation as one of the most successful black coaches working in football today.  

It came after some toil. His side lost 1-0 to Egyptian giants Zamalek in the second leg of the 2016 CAF Champions League final. But this was a good loss, a sweet one, as it did very little to change the aggregate score: the Brazilians had secured a 3-0 win in the first leg a week ago. This meant that the 52-year-old had added African Club football's Holy Grail to his already glowing CV.

Indeed, his profile had been steadily stocking up since his first coaching job 16 years ago. As a 31-year-old with a fairly eventful playing career behind him, he became the youngest coach in the South African top flight with his appointment at SuperSport United in July 2001.

Jingles, as he is affectionately called, had a successful stint at SuperSport - the first and only other club he's managed aside Sundowns - forging a reputation as one of the longest serving coaches in the top flight by spending seven years at the club. The tough-talking coach built a fearsome, respectable outfit, winning the Supa 8 trophy in 2004 and the Nedbank Cup - then named ABSA Cup, South Africa's main domestic Cup - in 2005.

Mamelodi Sundowns, champions of Africa