“I am working with a specific vision that I want to deploy with the team at both the African and the international levels, but it needs more time,” the South African coach told Ahly’s TV channel late on Monday.

“Club president Mahmoud El-Khatib is the reason behind my existence at Ahly. At first, I wasn’t a part of his plan for the club, but I am happy that I have become part of it,” added the coach, who took charge of Ahly in October 2020, succeeding Swiss tactician Rene Weiler.

Mosimane's future with Ahly was thrown into doubt after reports in the Egyptian media last week that new contract talks between the club and the South African broke down after the club rejected his financial demands.

Ahly moved quickly on Wednesday to dispel any doubts over Mosimane's future, saying he would see out his contract with the club, which expires at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Achievement story

After taking over at Ahly, Mosimane made an instant impact, guiding the team to a much-awaited African Champions League crown following a remarkable 2-1 victory over perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek in the final a month later.

He also steered the Reds to the Egypt Cup title and helped the team finish third in the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year before winning Africa's blue-riband club competition for the second time in a row last season.

However, Ahly then began a downward slide, losing the Egyptian Premier League title, which they had won the previous five seasons, to Zamalek before suffering a shock shootout defeat by unfancied Talae El-Geish in the domestic Super Cup.

“We are working hard to achieve the best results. It is normal to find some failures and sure we are not happy for that,” the former Sundowns coach Mosimane explained.

“I want the club fans to be a little bit patient. The current team is better than the one that we had last season,” he concluded.

Ahly kick off the defence of their Champions League crown away to Niger's Union Sportive de la Gendarmerie Nationale in the first leg of the competition's second preliminary round on Saturday.