Pirates should always qualify for Champions League, Jose Riveiro says

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says qualifying for the Caf Champions League should be standard for the Soweto club.

In his first season working in SA Riveiro has led Pirates back to the Champions League by finishing second in the 2022-23 Premier Soccer League (PSL). Bucs confirmed their runners-up placing by thumping AmaZulu 4-0 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

The goals were scored by Thabiso Monyane, Relebohile Raletomo, Monnapule Saleng and Kabelo Dlamini.

“It was a good performance and it allows us the opportunity to be in the Champions League in the next season, which is a thing that a club like Orlando Pirates must achieve every year,” Riveiro said.  

Having won the MTN8 title in the first half of the season, Riveiro could finish his maiden PSL season with a double if favourites Pirates beat Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup final at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.

But Riveiro said that as soon as they wrap up this season, he and his team have to start plotting where they can improve in the next campaign.  

“I’m happy to be part of this group and looking into the future and the future is still next week,” Riveiro said.  

“We don’t measure our level of success based on the titles. As coaches we think about today but we also have one eye on the near future. We have reasons to be optimistic, be positive about what is coming for us.  

“But we will start again in two months with zero points. And what we have achieved this season is very important. We have one more game to play, one more title that is in our hands to get. 

“But still it’s not enough. We want to go forward, we want to challenge for everything next season. For that, we need to be curious, self-critical and go really deep to understand what happened this season. We need to look for room to improve because there is room to improve.   

“I’m happy with the progression of the team, the progression of every individual in the squad, both those who are playing and those who are not because I can only play 11. But everyone is working in a fantastic way.”

Pirates welcomed back attacking talisman Thembinkosi Lorch against AmaZulu and his presence could be a big boost in Saturday’s final.