Johannesburg — Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says they’ll put the euphoria of winning the MTN8 aside this weekend as they want to improve week in and week out.
Pirates closed the first half of the season in style as they beat AmaZulu 1-0 in Durban on Saturday to win the first silverware of the season, the MTN8.
But they put their celebrations on hold this week, preparing for the Carling Black Label Cup where they’ll battle with rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-final.
“We are still proud of our last achievement together this season. Obviously, we’d like to go from game to game after a win,” Riveiro said on Wednesday.
“The mood and motivation are high. We still want to improve, not everything is done. And this weekend is another opportunity for us to improve more.
“Hopefully we can play two beautiful games against top teams in a beautiful venue and learn from the games. We’d like to play such games every week.”
Granted the league and Carling Cup are a different kettle of fish, but there’s no friendly when Chiefs and Pirates lock horns in front of a sold-out crowd.
And that’s why a Pirates win over Chiefs could be the start of revenge given the fact that Amakhosi reigned supreme in the Soweto derby a fortnight ago.
But the Spanish coach is not all about making up for lost time; instead he wants his team to improve on a regular basis and reach their targets.
“Did Pirates and Chiefs ever play a friendly game in history? I don’t think so. It’s a competition, not a friendly. So, we’ll take it seriously,” Riveiro explained.
“We’ll try to be competitive. I can tell you, we don’t play any game thinking about what’s going to happen if we lose. We don’t think about losing.
“We think about enjoying the day, competing, and doing everything we have to to win. But if we lose, we lose. We won’t play the final, and we’ll move on.”
IOL Sport