Pitso Mosimane Announces Contract Expiry At Abha Club After Relegation from Saudi Pro League

• Pitso Mosimane's contract with Abha Club has ended following the team's relegation
• Mosimane joined Abha in January with the goal of keeping them in the Saudi Pro League
• Despite a spell out of the danger zone, defensive vulnerabilities proved to be their downfall

South African football coach, Pitso Mosimane, has announced the end of his contract with Abha Club following their relegation from the Saudi Pro League (SPL).

The former Mamelodi Sundowns manager had taken on the challenge of steering the struggling Saudi side to safety, but his efforts ultimately fell short in the face of a dramatic final-day defeat.

Mosimane, who had joined Abha in January with the primary goal of ensuring the club's retention in the top-flight, saw his side briefly move out of the relegation zone after a narrow victory in the penultimate round of games.

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However, their fate was sealed in the final match, as they lost 2-1 to Al Hazem, who had already been relegated before the final round of fixtures.

"I took a risk and came to a team at the bottom of the league. I knew it was a difficult task, but I had hope when we got out of the danger zone three times. Everything must be accepted, and my contract with the club expires today," Mosimane acknowledged, reflecting on the difficult task he had faced, as reported by The South African.

The match itself proved to be a roller-coaster of emotions for the experienced coach. Abha took the lead early in the second half through Saudi forward Ahmed Abdu, giving Mosimane's side a glimmer of hope in their fight for survival.

However, their defensive vulnerabilities proved to be their undoing, as Gambian attacker Mohammed Badamosi levelled the scores in the 58th minute.

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The coup de grâce came in the game's final stages, as Mohamed Al Thani struck his fourth campaign goal to put Al Hazem ahead, leaving Mosimane's men with no time to mount a comeback.

Despite the 56-year-old's tactical changes, which saw the introduction of Mohammed Al Oufi and Luka Djordjevic, the game slipped away from Abha, with defender Marcel Tisserand receiving a red card late on.

The 2-1 defeat at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah sealed Abha's fate. Per Goal, they joined Al Taee and Al Hazem in dropping down to the second tier of Saudi football.

For Mosimane, it marked the end of a challenging chapter in his illustrious coaching career, one that had promised so much but ultimately fell short of its objectives.

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Sports Brief reported that Mosimane responded to links with Kaizer Chiefs while he fought relegation with Abha.

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Despite the heavy speculation linking him to the Amakhosi position, the 59-year-old affirmed that all options remained open.

He stressed his emotions would not influence his decision regarding his next career move and that his approach would be strictly business when evaluating new offers.