Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro addressed the team’s games in hand as they prepare to face Mamelodi Sundowns in a crucial Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium (15:30) on Sunday.

The Buccaneers currently sit second in the Betway Premiership table with 40 points, trailing log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 18 points. However, the 2024 MTN8 champions have played only 18 matches, giving them four games in hand compared to Sundowns’ 22.

Ahead of the highly anticipated match against Sundowns, Riveiro was asked whether he believes these games in hand provide an advantage in the league title race.

“There’s nothing I can do about this (games in hand), so I try to focus on things I can influence, and I’m talking about the games I know we are about to play, and those when and where to play,” Riveiro said in a press conference on Thursday. 

“I once said I don’t look at the log and staff like that, I was not joking, I was serious. I just think about the next game and try to look at the final games when there’s time. “But it’s not helping me now to think that there’s distance that calculates everyday if we can come closer.” 

Sundowns have dominated the Premiership for the past seven years, and it appears they are poised to secure another title this season.  

Riveiro was asked whether Sundowns’ consistent success indicates they are too dominant for the PSL.

“The overall points for the reason is that they continue collecting points with the same level. I think they are going over 80 points this season,” the former Inter Turku coach said. 

“So, you don’t have to ask Orlando Pirates coach whether they are good or not because it’s obvious they are good. In terms of points, they are performing at a level I think it’s new for everyone. 

“If we are breaking club records this season, it means we are also performing so well. But I think there’s still a lot of games for us to play in the league, we are left with 12 games. 

“At the end of the season, we have to analyse how close we were, whether we were better or not. We know what we are doing and we know why we didn’t get three points in the last game. 

“We are trying to run our race by not looking to anybody else. We just want to be ourselves, and being ourselves will be enough at the end of the season to be the champions. 

“If we will not be celebrating that means somebody is doing better than us, but that doesn’t mean we are not doing well. You don’t need to speak badly about Pirates and speak well about Sundowns, I think that’s a mistake you are making all the time, and it’s not fair. 

“We are competing so well and maybe other teams are not doing so well like us in the league.”