Riveiro’s Final Plea: Pirates Must Shake Off Chiefs Loss
Outgoing Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has urged his team to put their disappointment aside and focus on securing a victory against Golden Arrows.
He emphasized that dwelling on their recent loss is unproductive, and they must rally to win their upcoming fixture.
Riveiro will take charge of his final match for Pirates as they host Arrows at the Orlando Stadium in a Betway Premiership encounter on Tuesday [19:30]. This early departure comes after he agreed to join another club, a move confirmed by Pirates chairman Dr Irvin Khoza.
This development follows Riveiro’s decision not to renew his contract, which was set to expire at the end of the current season, a fact the club announced early last month.
Following Tuesday’s game against Arrows, Mandla Ncikazi will step in to manage the remaining four league matches for Pirates this season.
Despite their recent setback, Pirates have already secured second place in the Betway Premiership after their victory over the same Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in the reverse fixture last Tuesday. This finish guarantees their participation in the CAF Champions League next season.
However, they approach the home game against Arrows still smarting from their 2-1 defeat in the Nedbank Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs, which took place at the Durban venue on Saturday. In response, coach Riveiro stressed the importance of immediate recovery and a renewed focus on securing a win.
“We have to beat Arrows, then TS Galaxy, and so on,” stated Riveiro.
“Like I said, we don’t have to feel sorry for ourselves, the pity-party must be finished because it is important to win the next match.
“We try everything to be the champions of every competition; we really wanted to be the back-to-back and back-to-back champions in the Nedbank Cup, and we couldn’t, and Kaizer Chiefs were better than us, and that is why they are celebrating.”
Currently occupying second place in the league standings with 52 points after 23 matches, Pirates are on track to potentially accumulate their highest points total in the three years under the departing Spanish coach.
“We gave our best effort, metaphorically speaking, on Saturday. We must recover; they need to understand that this is part of our job, part of the competition,” he continued.
“We cannot feel sorry about ourselves. We will know soon why we weren’t the team that we were supposed to be on Saturday, and probably Chiefs have some responsibility for that.
“I think they had a fantastic journey in the Nedbank Cup. They got rid of Stellenbosch [in the quarter finals], Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final, Orlando Pirates in the final – we have to give credit to the opponent.
“Chiefs proposed good things and that is why they are the champions.”
This Nedbank Cup final loss marks the first time Pirates have been defeated in the final of the competition since the 2016/17 season, also at the Durban venue, against SuperSport United.
