Al-Ahli Saudi coach Pitso Mosimane says he has received an offer to join Egyptian giants Zamalek but turned it down because “the timing is not right”.

Mosimane’s tenure at Ahli appears to be coming to an end despite the coach achieving his mandate at the Jeddah club of promoting them back to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) by winning the second-tier Yelo League.

A report in TimesLIVE that Mosimane and his fellow South African technical staff members have allegedly not been paid for months appears to confirm strains between the coach and Ahli’s management. The club have indicated they might look for a new coach to take them into the top flight.

Mosimane told Bein Sports Arabic in an interview this week he received an offer from Zamalek but did not specify when.

“This timing is not appropriate to accept the offer,” he said.

The coach again clarified he has a clause in his contract at Ahli that sees a one-year extension on promotion from the Yelo League, but “the club’s management did not contact me in this regard”.

“I would like to stay in the Asian continent,” he added

Former Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns boss Mosimane coached Zamalek’s Cairo giant bitter rivals Al Ahly in his previous job, winning five trophies, including back-to-back Caf Champions League titles in almost two years there.

He arrived at Ahli — a big team in Saudi Arabia, who won three league titles and were in the SPL from its inception in 1976 until a shock relegation in 2021-2022 — in September with them battling in seventh place after five games in the Yelo League.

Despite his success, Ahli’s management have not confirmed Mosimane will stay. Club president Walid Moaz last week said Mosimane’s future would be decided after their final match, a 0-0 draw against Al Hazm on Monday. He was quoted as saying: “Pitso Mosimane performed well with the team, but the ambition is greater.”

TimesLIVE understands Ahli are the subject of a Fifa transfer ban until they pay $500,000 (R9.9m) to South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings for the acquisition of Bosnian midfielder Elvis Saric.

If this is not resolved, whoever is coach of Ahli on their return to the top-flight could have a tough assignment making the team competitive if they cannot beef up the squad.

Kaizer Chiefs, Raja Casablanca and the Nigerian national team are other jobs Mosimane has been linked to.