Percy Tau cuts a lonely figure at Al Ahly after Pitso Mosimane’s departure

Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau finds himself in a precarious position after Pitso Mosimane resigned as Al Ahly coach on Monday.

Tau was brought to Ahly by Mosimane after the two worked together at Mamelodi Sundowns and won the Caf Champions League in 2016.

The 28-year-old Bafana forward was struggling for game time at English Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion, and Mosimane roped him in to revive his career at the Confederation of African Football’s Club of the 20th century. Tau signed a four-year deal when he arrived in Cairo in August 2021 and is left with three years on his contract.

Mosimane’s departure could leave Tau out in the cold. Both Tau and Mosimane attracted unwarranted criticism and negative reviews from the club’s retired players and former stars.

This could make Tau’s stay a little difficult after Mosimane and his technical staff left Egypt.

Approached for comment, Tau’s business manager Mmatsatsi Sefalafala did not want to engage on the matter.

“No comment. Percy has a contract with Al Ahly,” was all Sefalafala would tell TimeLIVE. 

Ahly legend Taha Ismail has been very vocal and said the club needs to sell Tau because he “lacks the quality” to play for the Red Devils.

David Sesa, a former assistant coach at the club, was also quoted as saying Tau was not at the level to play for Ahly. Other club legends Wael Gomaa and Ahmed Koshary have been scathing and on the case of the South Africans since they joined the club. 

When Tau joined the Egyptian giants in August, he was criticised by local legends such as Benni McCarthy and Lucas Radebe for taking his career backwards by returning to the African continent.

Mosimane hit back at the two former Bafana stars and said they should have used their connections in Europe to assist Tau when he was frustrated and not getting game time in England. 

Before arriving in Cairo, Tau spent three years in Europe playing on loan for Royal Union St-Gilloise, Club Brugge, and Anderlecht in Belgium before returning to Brighton, the club that bought him from Sundowns in July 2018.

Seagulls coach Graham Potter played Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard ahead of the South African, and when Mosimane came knocking for his services, it was a no-brainer for the Emalahleni-born player.