Riveiro is only focusing on beating Chiefs in Nedbank Cup final

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says winning this season’s Nedbank Cup is more important to him than breaking records.

The Buccaneers edged Marumo Gallants 1-0 in a semifinal match played at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday, with Kabelo Dlamini scoring the only goal of the match in the first half.

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It was the third time in as many seasons Pirates achieved this feat, and they have won this season-ending competition for the last two seasons.

If they go on to win the competition for the third time in a row, Pirates will create another record. Riveiro, however, says he is not focusing on breaking records.

“Right now, this one matters, and the next one, the others are a memory, so we continue. We are in sport and we continue evolving in the sport, we want to do more,” said Riveiro.

“The record itself doesn’t matter, but it matters that we’re not just happy going to a final, being there for a party and fireworks. It’s nice to be there [in the final], but when it’s time to go, we go to be competitive, try to be better than the opponent, and win.

“And it’s not just about me, and I don’t want to be too modest. Usually we’re competitive, we care about what we achieve, but it’s not something you think about all the time, that you’re in the competition and it’s an opportunity to get three in a row, no.

“We just want to do it again because it’s our job. I’m not going to say it’s an obligation to do it, but it’s why we are here.”

‘Pirates deserve to be in the final’

Commenting on the game against Gallants, Riveiro believes that the Buccaneers deserved to win the game because they were the better team on the day.

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“I think we controlled the game very well. We created more than enough to score more than one goal, especially with more space in the second half. In the second half, Marumo changed their low block because they were also looking for the goal, and that left them more open and more exposed. I think overall it was a good game, a good performance, and fairly justified to be in the final,” concluded Riveiro. 

Pirates will meet Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the final of the Nedbank Cup in Durban on 10 May.