Riveiro Set To Raid Pirates For Al Ahly?
Newly appointed Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro has addressed speculations that he is looking to lure some of his former players at Orlando Pirates to join his new North African project with the Egyptian powerhouse.
The Spanish tactician departed the Buccaneers with four Betway Premiership matches still to go in the 2024/25 campaign. This is after guiding the Soweto giants to five domestic cup titles and three successive runners-up finishes in the league, since taking over in June 2022.
During his tenure at Pirates, Riveiro notably gave a host of youngsters and senior players a chance in the first team, with the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Mohau Nkota, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, and outcast Monnapule Saleng amongst others rising to prominence under his tutelage.
Now, in the wake of his appointment as the new Red Devils boss, reports suggested the ex-Bucs mentor is keen on roping in his trusted allies from Johannesburg to Cairo, particularly recently integrated Mbokazi and highly-rated Mofokeng.
However, the 49-year-old Celta Vigo native poured cold water on those claims, stating that he has not asked the Al Ahly hierarchy to raid the Sea Robbers out of respect for his former employers and the strength of the Egyptian champions’ squad.
“There are indeed many distinguished players at Orlando Pirates who could play for big clubs, but it’s never happened that I have recommended any players from Pirates to join Al Ahly, especially since I respect Pirates that much and I can’t make that request,” Riveiro told Al Ahly TV.
“Al Ahly’s current line-up is very distinctive and can compete at the continental level. I can only offer some advice on how to improve the team, but I didn’t ask for any players from Pirates to come to Al Ahly.
“However, that doesn’t prevent me from looking at Al Ahly’s line-up to see if there are any positions that need improvement or not.”
Riveiro went on to state that they are not in a rush to recruit new players as the upcoming revamped 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, set to be hosted in the United States of America (USA), will enable the technical team to study the players before delving into the market.
“We don’t want to rush into signing more players now. The upcoming tournament will allow us to get to know players better, but that doesn’t prevent us from signing new players after the FIFA Club World Cup,” he added.
“There will be an opportunity to identify shortcomings and examine the player market to see if we need support or not.”
Al Ahly will tackle Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Portuguese giants FC Porto, and record 12-time Brazilian champions Palmeiras in group A of the global showpiece. The club of the century will face Mexican juggernauts Pachuca at Chase Stadium on Sunday, in preparation for the tournament.
