South African coach Pitso Mosimane, now leading Iran’s Esteghlal FC, expressed respect for Al Hilal ahead of their AFC Champions Leage clash.
Esteghlal is set to face Al Hilal on Monday evening at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, marking Mosimane’s first continental match with the Iranian side.
The game is part of the fourth round in the Asian Champions League’s elite stage. While Al Hilal has maintained a perfect record so far, Esteghlal has managed just three points from their first three matches.
In a press conference, 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, 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.”
Mosimane previously defeated Al Hilal 4-0 in their only previous encounter, when he was in charge of Al Ahly during the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.