Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has spoken about the importance of closing the gap on the team that finishes on top of the DStv Premiership table next season.  

Pirates scrambled in to finish second after drawing with SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday in what was the closing day of the DStv Premiership 2023/24 season.  

As they finished second in the table, they were behind with a whopping 23 points to Mamelodi Sundowns, who galloped with the league title from the onset before officially confirming it with six games to go.  

The Pirates and SuperSport draw was enough to see the Buccaneers topple Stellenbosch FC from the second position as the side from the Cape Winelands suffered a 2-1 defeat to Richards Bay on the same day, ending the season with three consecutive league defeats and winless in their last five outings across all competitions. 

Last season Pirates also finished second, but the number of points was not that big, 16 having accumulated 54 while this season was 50, showing they didn’t match last term’s Riveiro’s first season.  

“I think that we shouldn’t undermine what it means to be in the Champions League, but not celebrating to be second, we are celebrating to be in the Champions League,” the Pirates coach said.  

“We’ve got a right to be there and it’s something very important for the club, but being second, 23 points behind the first one is not a huge achievement.  

“So that’s our objective from now, how we can reduce the gap with whoever is there leading the log. It’s too much distance between the first and second position, and even though I said many times we are fighting with a team that is not famous for dropping points frequently,” 

As they featured in the Champions League this season, the Sea Robbers were shockingly eliminated in the preliminary rounds by Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy.  

With that experience, next season they will hope for a better outcome or at least reach the group stages.  

“Fantastic result, also fantastic that Pirates is going to be in the Champions League again next season,” said Riveiro.  

“I’m proud that Pirates will represent South Africa in the continent and hopefully better than the last time.”  

The Soweto giants will now shift their focus to the Nedbank Cup final where they’ll be looking to defend their title against Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday (15:00).  

Picture courtesy of Orlando Pirates

Article by Trevor Magoro