Riveiro relishing Sundowns challenge
JOSE Riveiro has assembled a competitive squad at Orlando Pirates, so much so that he wants his players to test themselves against the best at all times.
Having endured a three-game losing streak after the resumption of the season, Pirates have turned the tide in recent weeks, winning their last games on the bounce.
That feat has seen their chase for a second-place finish back on the cards as they trail runaway leaders and rivals Mamelodi Sundowns by 24 points.
But the Sea Robbers are not content with their performance, as they want to steadily improve for the rest of the campaign and going into next season.
That’s why Riveiro argues that they will get better if they play against teams such as the Brazilians who visit them at Orlando Stadium in the Premiership on Saturday.
“Both teams are in a good moment in terms of the results. You don’t win 14 and three games in a row if you are not doing things well,” Riveiro said.
“So it’s going to be a good test for both teams, with one of us not going to be happy with the result because we are teams that are not playing for draws.
“So we’ll see what happens. These are teams that are full of quality players that are prepared and well-coached. There’ll be more difficulties than usual.
“These are the types of games that’ll help both teams to improve as they will see if they are going in the right direction and in a place they want to be.
“So from my perspective, the level of the challenge is going to be very good. So, we are looking forward to playing such matches as a team.”
But one of the players who has failed to live up to the pressure that comes with fighting for a place at a demanding club like Pirates is striker Zakhele Lepasa.
Lepasa requested to leave in the January transfer window owing to limited game time, and was sent to SuperSport United on loan for the rest of the season.
“First of all, I’d like to wish Zakhele all the best. He’s a fantastic guy and a very good player. But this is a competitive environment,” Riveiro said.
“We have 36 players in the squad. And there’s no possibility of guaranteeing minutes to anyone. I understand players that decide they need to play more.
“So when a player decides they’ll get minutes elsewhere, that’s something I have to respect. So hopefully Zakhele can show the player he is at SuperSport.
“It’s a normal thinking player, when we talk about a big and quality squad like this, who asks to leave as it’s difficult to give the players what they deserve.”
Amid Lepasa’s departure on Tuesday, Pirates bolstered their squad, signing midfielder Makhehlene Makhaula from AmaZulu on a one-and-a-half-year contract.
Makhaula was Pirates’ second January signing, the club having initially signed striker Souaibou Marou, who was with Cameroon at the 2022 World Cup.
The two players were training with their new teammates at their Rand Stadium base this week. And Riveiro says they are working hard to integrate them into the team.
“We are happy to have more material in the squad. We are working hard to ensure that they are ready to be selected as soon as possible,” Riveiro said.