Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro during a match Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has sung the praises of his side after they made ti five wins in a row to begin their Betway Premiership campaign, with victory over AmaZulu on Friday.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspaper.
As Orlando Pirates continued their perfect start to their Betway Premiership campaign, Sea Robbers coach Jose Riveiro has attributed their strong results to their mental approach.
Pirates beat AmaZulu 2-1 on Friday evening at Orlando Stadium to rise to 15 points after five wins in a row and the summit of the table, with Mamelodi Sundowns three behind after four games.
With Sundowns having won the league seven times in a row, it finally seems they will have a strong challenge for top honours from Pirates.
Even though Pirates finished second last term, Sundowns were still a class apart.
With Pirates now setting the pace, Riveiro could sit back and shower his troops with praise.
Jose Riveiro on winning 5/5 to kick off the 2024/25 league campaign. ☠️@orlandopirates | @iDiskiTimes pic.twitter.com/Enb1ISJpaH
— Lorenz Köhler (@Lorenz_KO) October 25, 2024
“I think the team is getting mature, we show and the players show, this season they are really enjoying playing and that makes everything much easier,” Riveiro said.
“So far they are really focused in each and every game, you never hear them talking about Champions League the next month, or the big games we’re going to play. It’s always about the next opponent when you hear the players in the locker room and [training].”
While stopping short of saying he fancied his team to usurp Sundowns’ crown, Riveiro predicted this was just the start for Pirates.
“They are always talking about what’s coming or what we did the day before. It makes you feel that they are getting more mature as a group and they know what it takes to achieve what we want to achieve in the end, which is always the next… that makes me feel confident and very optimistic about this group.”