Coach Riveiro eyes record-breaking Soweto Derby legacy with Orlando Pirates

JOSE RIVEIRO might not be one for individual acclaim, but there is bound to be a part of him that is looking to leave a lasting personal legacy on South African football, to add to the club ones he has already built.

It is a record that Orlando Pirates can achieve before his three-year tenure with the Buccaneers comes to an end. It is a milestone that would put the cherry on top of the few he has already attained. And, given their 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend, it is a feat you can safely bet on him achieving.

The soft-spoken Spaniard could become the most successful coach in the Soweto Derby should he lead Pirates to defend their Nedbank Cup title at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, where they will square up against Amakhosi.

Now joint-best on five wins with Stuart Baxter following the Betway Premiership triumph at FNB Stadium on Saturday, Riveiro can chalk up a record sixth win that would surely take some beating. He was typically reluctant to delve into personal achievements while addressing the media during a post-match conference deep in the bowels of the Calabash.

“Ah, it is good, that’s good,” he said, of having matched the former Chiefs coach’s feat, “and hopefully, there’s still one more to play (for).”

There was a hint of excitement in his voice – the prospect clearly a source of delight, and rightly so. But he has never been one to let his emotions show, and the man from Vigo in Spain swiftly reverted to Riveiro mode.

“The target is not about my record especially,” he reminded the media corps, who must have been rubbing their hands with glee as the usually reticent coach seemed to be coming out of his shell.

“Actually,” he continued, “I think three years ago after my first derby, the first question I was asked right here was, ‘congratulations coach, you’re the first Spanish coach to lose a match at FNB’. Now we are sitting with five victories, and I am happy with the performance.”

That performance was a splendid come-from-behind effort that saw Evidence Makgopa cancelling out Glody Lilepo’s second-minute goal for Chiefs, with Relebohile Mofokeng scoring the winner after the break.

Riveiro admitted that their CAF Champions League participation has had a hugely positive impact on the Buccaneers.

“It’s something that there’s no way we can measure, but we can analyse the evolution of the team – especially the young players. They are pushing on, asking for and taking a lot of opportunities to play important games; to play in the CAF Champions League and accumulate that experience for their careers and for the benefit of the team.”

He continued: “It is unquestionable that if you play at the maximum level of competition – and for us, it is the Champions League – your team can only improve.

"If we play these types of games every week, even Chiefs will improve, because you had two good teams playing pound for pound. This is the tempo you get in the Champions League, and you have to survive.

"It’s something very, very important for the team and their future – especially when you speak about a very young team like that.”

The Pirates coach praised the club for their commitment to the development of young players.

“We are proud of them (the youngsters). They are showing every week that they really want to get the opportunity and they prepare, even though you will never be fully prepared.

"It is not about the age, it is about the talent, about the professionalism. We give them confidence, because if they feel we trust them, it is going to give them an important boost.

"What you get from the players from the academy is something you cannot get from anybody else – they have something special, as they used to look at the club in a different way.

“They spent time around the team being ball boys, playing in the academy and coming from the DDC. They are coming little by little, absorbing the culture of the team, and when they are ready to go, they will do something special.

"This is Orlando Pirates doing a job, and my job is to give the young players the tools. When things are going well, like today, it is a special feeling.”

That feeling will be all the more special should he lead them to lift the Nedbank Cup for an unprecedented third successive time, and thus become the most successful coach in the Soweto Derby since the advent of the Premiership in 1996.