Pirates’ Riveiro – Sundowns are still the team to beat

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro is adamant that the team to beat this season is Mamelodi Sundowns, even though Masandawana will start the new season with a change of head coach.

Pirates finished second in last season’s Betway Premiership, some 23 points behind Sundowns, though they did also win the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup for the second successive season, beating Masandawana in both finals.

The Buccaneers also have Riveiro as head coach for a third successive season, while Rulani Mokwena left Sundowns and joined Wydad Casablanca as head coach. Manqoba Mngqithi has taken over as interim head coach, a move that certainly brings plenty of continuity at Choorklop.

Pirates begin their quest for a third MTN8 title in a row on Saturday when they host SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium in the quarterfinals.

‘We must be humble’

“The team to beat is Sundowns, they are the current champions and we are all wishing to be there,” said Riveiro.

“They are the ones everyone wants to beat. We must be humble, the level of the task is not easy.”

When pressed on how Pirates might catch Sundowns in the title race this season, Riveiro preferred to focus on the task at hand – beating SuperSport in the MTN8 on Saturday.

“We are about to play SuperSport in a quarterfinal, and it is not about the league right now,” said Riveiro.

“Our ambition is to compete in every game, for every trophy. In the cups we have been competitive in every game, that is why we have played now in the last four finals of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.

“Our ambition is to manage to be competitive in every game in the league, but right now we are busy with the MTN8 and we have to focus on this next knockout game.”