Jose Riveiro believes that Orlando Pirates have to keep their head down and ensure that they collect maximum points in their remaining fixtures, if they want to continue to compete with Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title.
The Sea Robbers beat the defending Betway Premiership champions 2-1 on Sunday in Betway Premiership, reinvigorating their championship ambitions. Although 15 point behind Downs, the Bucs have a number of games in hand; and converting even a few of those into full points, could put pressure on the Brazilians.
“When you look at the schedule, you can no longer say, ‘here, if we get a point, it’s fine, or even playing against Sundowns, one point would be fine’,” Riveiro said after the match.
“You have to fight for maximum points. We have four more games to play than them, and it could be nice to have those games played from here. Even if we are six or seven points behind them, it can give the game a different dimension.
“It will also speak more clearly of our reality because we have a lot of points, which is not regular at this time of the season, with the amount of games we have played. But if you only look at the gap, you can easily start thinking it’s over for us.
“It’s still a long way to go and we are competing against a team that knows how to collect points.”
Following their 4-1 loss in their first meeting just over a month ago, Riveiro said that his side took lessons from that game and they will continue to do so, as some of the key learnings also helped guide them to victory on Sunday.
“Every time you play against good teams like Sundowns, it’s not a joke because they set the bar very high season after season. The amount of points they have at this time of the season is exceptional and very unique.
“To play against them is an opportunity to get better; it is a team you try to control in some areas, but they don’t take time to find the solutions. But we learned that from our first match.
“We have also learned a couple of things today, and I am certain they also did. Hopefully, this is not the last time we meet this season, as we still have an opportunity to meet in a couple of competitions, and if it happens, it will be new for South African football.”
Orlando Pirates have defied the odds so far this season, and their win against Mamelodi Sundowns could be their defining moment in their title challenge. The Buccaneers have been chasing an elusive tenth league title, and after securing a 2-1 win in what was a must-win encounter against Sundowns on Sunday, Jose Riveiro and his charges came within 15 points of the defending champions, with four games still in hand.
Pirates last won the league title in 2012, and after not coming close to winning it despite a couple of second-place finishes, this current season they are on target to achieve what could be their most successful campaign in terms of points achieved. However, the jury is still out on whether that will come with silverware.
It will be important, though, for Riveiro and his Pirates side to shake off the inconsistency that has hampered their success so far this season with a couple of damaging losses, as despite their win on Sunday, any slip-ups could still prove costly.
Riveiro will be pleased, though, that attacker Relebohile Mofokeng managed to get on the scoresheet, scoring two crucial goals that effectively won them the match, and also defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s mature performances ever since he has been introduced to the senior team’s defence.
The Spanish mentor shared his concerns about the matches they still have to catch up on, but also reiterated the importance of securing maximum points in every outing, as it is the only way they will continue to remain competitive in their battle with Sundowns.
