It is not all doom and gloom for Abha. They had shown positive signs going into what would always be a tough home game against second placed Al-Nassr.
Mosimane took over on January 11 with Abha in 17th position on 14 points with four wins and two draws from 19 games.
Abha had not won in seven games, six of those defeats. In six matches Mosimane steered them to two wins, two draws and two defeats before Tuesday night's rout, accumulating eight points.
It will take some doing picking up the pieces from such a devastating result, though.
It will be the ultimate test of the coaching abilities of Mosimane, used to being in charge of trophy and title-chasing combinations at Mamelodi Sundowns and Egypt's Al Ahly, to get Abha back on track and escape the bottom three in their last eight matches.
Ronaldo's hat-trick took him to 36 goals in 35 league and cup games this season.
Al-Nassr remained 12 points behind SPL leaders Al-Hilal, who beat Al Akhdoud 3-0 at home on Tuesday night.
Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick spurs eight-goal rout of Mosimane’s Abha
Image: Reuters/Stringer
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a first-half hat-trick then was substituted at the break as Al-Nassr routed Pitso Mosimane's battling Abha Club 8-0 in their Saudi Pro League (SPL) clash on Tuesday night.
Abha have shown signs of a revival under their South African coaching staff but on Tuesday goals by 39-year-old Portugal and former Real Madrid great Ronaldo in the 11th, 21st and 42nd minutes saw Mosimane's team capitulate in spectacular fashion.
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mané added another in the 33rd and Abdulmajeed Al Sulayhim scored in the 44th for a 5-0 scoreline at the break. Three more goals came in the second half from Abdulrahman Ghareeb (51st) and Abdulaziz Al Elewai (63rd and 86th).
The thrashing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Abha left Mosimane's relegation battlers rooted in 17th place in the 18-team league where the bottom three face the drop.
It is not all doom and gloom for Abha. They had shown positive signs going into what would always be a tough home game against second placed Al-Nassr.
Mosimane took over on January 11 with Abha in 17th position on 14 points with four wins and two draws from 19 games.
Abha had not won in seven games, six of those defeats. In six matches Mosimane steered them to two wins, two draws and two defeats before Tuesday night's rout, accumulating eight points.
It will take some doing picking up the pieces from such a devastating result, though.
It will be the ultimate test of the coaching abilities of Mosimane, used to being in charge of trophy and title-chasing combinations at Mamelodi Sundowns and Egypt's Al Ahly, to get Abha back on track and escape the bottom three in their last eight matches.
Ronaldo's hat-trick took him to 36 goals in 35 league and cup games this season.
Al-Nassr remained 12 points behind SPL leaders Al-Hilal, who beat Al Akhdoud 3-0 at home on Tuesday night.
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