Pirates coach Riveiro on importance of planning well this season

Following his team’s hard-fought victory over SuperSport United in the MTN8 this past weekend, Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is hoping that the Buccaneers can carry the momentum into the new Betway Premiership season when it eventually starts.

The Buccaneers beat Matsatsantsa a Pitori 3-1 in a dramatic quarterfinals clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, to continue their quest of being the only team in the Premier Soccer League to win the cup competition three times in a row.

With start to the league delayed for weeks and only likely to start on the weekend of 14 and 15 September, and with the Buccaneers also set to play in the CAF Champions League preliminary round this month, Riveiro has emphasized the importance of planning well for the new season.

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“The schedule is what it is and there’s nothing we can do about it. The only thing we can do is to do good planning. Planning is key in this sport. We have games, games, and too little time to train. But if you plan better than your opponents, you have an advantage,” said Riveiro.

“If you think about our first two seasons. Last season, I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I think we got seven points out of 15 in the first five games of the season. We didn’t start well and it was the same the season prior to that. That lack of a good performance or in this instance, consistency and results, was a big problem in the end.

“And maybe now starting well in a cup competition getting the rhythm and the league also starting late this season, things could go a different way for us. But [having said that], we need to increase our level of confidence and believe that we can compete in all competitions until the end,” added Riveiro.

The Spaniard is happy with the squad that the club has assembled this season.

“We have extraordinary players in every position, they are growing and getting better. These competitions are helping us a lot to know how competitive we can really be.”  

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Pirates have done well in cup competitions in the last two seasons, winning four. Asked if there was any secret to winning cup competitions Riveiro said: “There is no secret, but we need to find the formula that will keep our players motivated in each and every game they play.”