Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro seems to give up as far as the DStv Premiership title is concerned, saying Mamelodi Sundowns are like a point machine. Sundowns need three wins to wrap up the league but that only depends if the second-placed Stellenbosch loses a single match.
Looking at the log table, Riveiro feels they have tried to close the gap on runaway log leaders, Sundowns but it’s difficult to catch them. Coach Rulani Mokwena’s troops are yet to lose in the league this term as they have 52 points at the summit from 16 wins and four draws.
Checking out the current Nedbank Cup champions, Pirates sit third with 37 points and are left with seven matches to wrap up their season – Riveiro has given up.
Riveiro Focuses on Nedbank, Gives up on League Title
The Spaniard, Riveiro is yet to win the league since his arrival in South Africa in 2021 and he is now changing his focus to defending the Nedbank title.
Ahead of the match against AmaZulu away from home this weekend, Riveiro once again casts doubt on their chances of ever challenging Sundowns for the league title. In addition, he opted to describe the Tshwane outfit as a “point machine” as he admitted that, lifting the Ke Yona trophy was crucial for them.
“We can still talk about consistency [of Pirates] until the end of our lives but that’s not the only thing to talk about. We see the top of the log…you are competing against a point machine right now [referring to Sundowns], a team that didn’t lose even one game in the last 40-something games,” Riveiro said at a Nedbank Cup media conference in Sandton.
“You want to go to the past, we can go to the previous season also [where] we got 54 points. Usually, you win the title in SA with 60, right? Probably you [media] know better than myself, so we got 54 but again we are competing with a point machine…they don’t lose. Probably we are going to pass that number [54] this season. You can analyse the reasons why [Sundowns hardly lose], it’s part of your business…we are trying but it’s difficult to get close for many, many different reasons but we are getting there.”
Riveiro’s Pirates on the Road to KZN
At the start of the current season, Pirates beat Sundowns to lift the MTN8 trophy at Moses Mabhida Stadium via penalties but Riveiro has given up on the league title chase.
The Buccaneers are hunting for their second trophy this season and they will meet a desperate Usuthu at the Durban-based 2010 FIFA World Cup hosting venue on Saturday evening. On top of that, Riveiro has always refused to reveal his reasons for saying it’s difficult for them to compete with Sundowns who have been sitting at the top of the table since the league started last year.
Just this week, Sundowns have also collected 100 points under Mokwena since taking the coaching reins in October 2023. They are on course to finish the season without a defeat.
“Winning the Nedbank Cup is very important because it is a South African cup. The Nedbank Cup is an important trophy and every team who participates in the competition wants to go to the final at least,” added Riveiro.
“This cup is very important to everyone at the club…the players, the coaching staff. We are all focused on this tournament and we will try again to retain it.”
Meanwhile, Masandawana will head to Atteridgeville to face the University of Pretoria in their Last Eight contest at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Friday evening.
Related: AmaZulu vs Pirates Preview: Bucs Eyeing Dominance Over Usuthu