Jose Riveiro sheds light on the secrets to Pirates’ impressive form this season
Coach Jose Riveiro has provided an explanation for Orlando Pirates’ recent impressive performances, as they have been playing good football and securing victories consistently. The team’s current form under Riveiro is the best it has been, having won seven consecutive matches across all competitions.
Their most recent win came against Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium on 22 April. They are now in a strong position to secure a place in the CAF Champions League next season, currently sitting in second place. Furthermore, the team is in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup and has already claimed the MTN8 title this season.
Riveiro stated that the team is displaying a strong sense of character and commitment towards achieving their goals. He further explained that the players have an unwavering desire to win and perform at their best in every match, which makes it challenging for him to select the 20-man squad and the starting 11. He also mentioned that team has several players who are eager and prepared to step up and deliver when given the chance.
“The key is the players want [to win], and they want to do that every game. They are making my life difficult to select the 20 [match day squad], to select the [starting]11 because we have many players ready to perform,” said Riveiro.
“[It’s] good for us. We are going to the last part of the season in a very good moment. We feel very confident and strong at the moment.
“I want to find myself every season in this moment of the season fighting for important things for the possibility to get more titles for this club. We embrace the moment, we really want to stay in this moment for as much as possible.”
Although the team is currently performing well, Riveiro acknowledges that there will be challenging matches ahead. However, he is determined that the team will continue to persevere and fight until the very end.
Riveiro emphasized the importance of the team’s shared goal and motivation in driving their collective effort towards success. While there may be no guarantee of winning every match, the team will give their all in every game.
Riveiro also highlighted that it can be difficult to deal with a tight schedule if the results are not favorable and the team lacks optimism. Pirates will be facing TS Galaxy [A], Royal AM [H], Kaizer Chiefs [A, Nedbank Cup], Sekhukhune United [H] and AmaZulu [A] in their remaining matches this season.
