Riveiro hungry for more success at Pirates, but says it depends on players

Orlando Pirates winning run has made coach Jose Riveiro hungry for more trophies at the club. But he says it’s all about what the players want. 

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Pirates are on a seven-game winning run in all competitions, with the club having last lost a match back in February when they lost 1-0 to Kaizer Chiefs in a DStv Premiership clash. And the Buccaneers have already won silverware this season when they lifted the MTN8 Cup.

Now, they have another shot of claiming silverware, having reached the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup. 

“I want to find myself in this moment of the season fighting for important things with the possibility of getting more titles for this club. We embrace the moment and we want to stay in this moment as much as possible,” said Riveiro. 

“The key is what the players want. They show hunger every day and they are making my life difficult to select the starting eleven because we have many players who are ready to perform. We are very lucky we have a lot options every week to design and execute our game plan before and during the game, like we did (in their 2-1 victory against Cape Town City).”

Riveiro attributed his team’s fine form to a positive impact by all the players, especially those who come in as substitutes. 

“If I didn’t have the level of players I have on the bench, probably it wouldn’t matter how good my ideas were as coach. We have excellent players in every position and it is good they come in and make an impact,” the Buccaneers mentor added. 

“That’s the way we want to continue as a group. We want to achieve something together and that motivation will push us until the end.”

Champions League calling

The Sea Robbers will be looking to extend their winning run when they face TS Galaxy on Sunday. It is also vital for Bucs to get a win against the Rockets to continue with the race for to finish second in the table and qualify for next season’s Caf Champions League.

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“We cannot guarantee we’re going to get the result every week, but it’s a fact and it’s clear that we’re going to fight until the end to get what we want,” added Riveiro.

Riveiro’s men are currently in third place on the table with 46 points after 26 games. Meanwhile, they face a Galaxy side that are in 11th on the log, having collected 31 points after the same number of games as Pirates.