Jose Riveiro
Orlando Pirates coach, Jose Riveiro all the way from Spain. Image credit: Lorenz Kohler shared via X
(The Post News)- Despite the Buccaneers’ crushing 4-1 loss to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Stadium on Saturday, Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro remains optimistic about the team’s prospects of winning the Betway Premiership.
Near the quarter-mark of the game, Teboho Mokoena’s stunning long-range effort, Grant Kekana’s opening goal, and a brace from Lucas Ribeiro Costa were all too strong for the Soweto giants to stop. The Bucs now trail the Tshwane powerhouse by nine points.
Riveiro, nevertheless, claims he is already considering defending the Nedbank Cup championship before their matchup in the round of 16 with Baroka FC of the Motsepe Foundation Championship, who won the Telkom Knockout trophy against Pirates in 2018 under Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic’s coaching.
“I’m still upset about this loss, but I’m already thinking about who will play Baroka in the Nedbank Cup,” Riveiro said. “With the Baroka game in mind, we were able to save KB Kabelo Dlamini. Believe me, I’ve been around for a long time to know these things.”
The 49-year-old manager praised his charges for their performance against Sundowns, despite the fact that they lost a game that might be pivotal in the title chase. He also pointed out that his team had a challenging week leading up to the encounter in the capital city.
Riveiro, who is in the last four months of his three-year deal, continued, “It was a bad week if you think about this week. We played Kaizer Chiefs, and let’s be honest, we were about to draw. We played 90-something minutes – a penalty we got the three points.”
“During my tenure at Pirates, we played Sekhukhune United away and earned three more points, but we never defeated Sekhukhune. We’re here now with Sundowns. Despite the 4-1 score, we were fiercely competitive and had the best running style on the field,” added the coach.
The Pirates coach continues to be upbeat, finding motivation in the fact that they have already won their first prize of the current season. Last October, the Sea Robbers became the first side in the top division of South Africa to win the MTN8 title for the third time in a row after defeating Stellenbosch.
“So, I’m really optimistic if I take another look at the week. The way we are going, we are contending in every competition, and this season we already have a title in our cabinet. With 16 games left in the season, the point differential is not the issue, nor is our current style of play. Jose stated that Baroka and the incoming teams are his issue.
“I’m not going to make this game like a final, now I’m on the losing side, but it’s three points,” says the coach. He concluded, “as I mentioned earlier, the season is the right moment to evaluate who’s winning the title and other contenders, how excellent they were, and how close they were.”
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