Head coach Pitso Mosimane on Thursday said he is proud of his Al Ahly side after clinching a bronze medal at the Club World Cup in a third-place playoff following a 3-2 penalty shootout win over Palmeiras.
The Egyptian and CAF Champions League champions secured a dramatic win over the Brazilian outfit following a goalless draw after regulation time.
Mosimane, who became the first South African coach to clinch a win in the competition as well as the first to clinch a medal said he was delighted with his team's effort.
"I'm proud of the boys," Mosimane said post-match. "We competed in three tough games and they left everything on the pitch,
"They covered every blade of grass on the pitch. They displayed character and self belief and you can't ask for more from the boys in terms of energy.
"Yes we know we've got a lot of work to do and that we need to score more, but we need to understand the level of competition we were up against.
"I think if you finish third, Africa should not be disgraced but us finishing third and defeating the CONMENBOL champions is a milestone.
Mosimane suffered his first defeat in five months since his appointment at Al Ahly against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals whle already clinching a treble of trophies.
The 56-year-old will now turn his attention back to their domestic league where Mosimane's side are undefeated in second position in the league standings with two games in hand.