Orlando Pirates’ coach Jose Riveiro says the team will fight tooth and nail to ensure that they take the Betway Premiership race to the wire.
Pirates have endured a rollercoaster run recently. They lost in the CAF Champions League semi-final and to Sekhukhune United in the league. Those defeats put a spanner in the works, as they all but lost out on a possible quadruple, now trailing log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 12 points.
Pirates’ hopes of knocking the Brazilians off their perch do not appear to be dashed, though — especially after beating Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday. The Bucs celebrated the bragging rights and three points highly at the Calabash, courtesy of goals from Evidence Makgopa and Relebohile Mofokeng.
Ahead of their league clash against Golden Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night (7.30pm), Riveiro says they’ll not leave any stone unturned.
“They (the players) perform every three days like animals and beasts. They are running, playing, and not complaining at all,” Riveiro said.
“They are competing in every competition. We are in a second final, and we are trying to run the race with Sundowns until the very last day.
“We were 10 minutes close to playing in the Champions League final. These guys are proving to everyone that they are trying to do something this season.
“Maybe we might not. This is football — we are playing against good teams, all of those things. But the will to do it and the concentration is something that will hopefully be repeated.”
Should Pirates beat Arrows, they’d trim the gap at the top to nine points with a game in hand — but that clash will serve a double purpose. It will also be a dress rehearsal for the Nedbank Cup final against Chiefs at the same venue on Saturday afternoon (3.30pm).
Pirates know all about winning the Nedbank Cup under Riveiro, as he masterminded the last two victories in the final — against Sekhukhune United and Sundowns.
With the recent win over Chiefs etching Riveiro’s name into the history books as he matched Stuart Baxter’s five successive wins in the derby, the Spaniard will want to break that record. And that shouldn’t be far-fetched, as he loves the derby. Riveiro is already in awe of the euphoria and harmony that comes with playing in one of the biggest derbies in the world.
“I expressed myself already about the Soweto derby — how special it is, and these two clubs are painting a beautiful picture of SA football,” Riveiro said.
“The history of soccer here, and the country, I think it belongs in large part to Pirates and Chiefs. I think it’s something unique and to enjoy.
“It’s something that people use to enjoy the game. There’s togetherness and a peaceful way to enjoy the derby, so that’s something you can’t see anywhere else, to my knowledge.
“It’s something that — of course, in 5–10 years if I get there — it’s something I want to look back at, for sure. I will remember it forever, for sure,” he concluded.
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