Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says the job is not done after his side moved to the top of Group C in the CAF Champions League following a commanding 3-0 win at home over Ivorian outfit Stade d’ Abidjan at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

The Buccaneers lead the group with eight points from four matches played while reigning and record African champions Al Ahly occupied second place with seven points. 

CR Belouizdad lies in third place with six points as the Ivorians are bottom-placed with a single point.

Riveiro’s charges are the only unbeaten team in the group. The race for a knockout stage berth heats up after the Algerian giants stunned the Egyptian powerhouse with a late goal on Friday night, ending their 27-game unbeaten streak in the competition.

However, the Bucs mentor is not getting carried away as he believes there’s still a lot of work to be done with two more important fixtures still to play but admits the ball is in their court to secure passage to the quarterfinals.

“A lot of important things more than the result, which in the end it’s also crucial because we have the opportunity to already accumulate eight points. Two more games to play, it’s in our hands to find ourselves in the top eight,” said Riveiro after the game against Stade d’Abidjan.

“But still there’s a lot of things to do, it’s not done, not even close. We still have to play two very tough games, but we proved that we could compete in a good way with everybody one more time, it’s not the first time we’ve done it.

Moreover, Riveiro is adamant that complacency won’t creep into his squad, highlighting the mental fortitude of the crop of players at his disposal and insists they are taking it one game at a time and not thinking far ahead.

“That’s not going to be a problem with this group, trust me. We are learning like I said many times. Again today [vs Abidjan] we finished with five of our DDC players on the field, but they are accumulating this experience to understand what it takes to play at this level,” he said.

“We went through difficult moments where you have to show that you’re still a professional football player at a time when everybody is having festive days, parties, and having fun, but this group continued working each day because we are committed to our goals.

“It’s not going to change now because we are temporarily until the next fixture at least, hopefully until the end leading the group. It doesn’t matter, it’s something nice to feel proud of and we are because we are working for it.

“Nobody is giving us anything for free, but at the same time, we know that next Saturday we continue talking about the Champions League, knowing that we have a game in between in Cape Town and an extremely difficult one so our minds will be on that game.

He added: “And then we will prepare ourselves to host CR Belouizdad and try to offer a good competition one more time. We don’t even speak about our options or possibilities; we only talk about the next game in that locker room, and we won’t change now because we know how quickly and simply you can lose your position in this sport.”