Football is a game of emotions, and it is therefore relatively normal for coaches to lose their cool and composure during high-pressure situations. But not Jose Riveiro during his three-year stint at Orlando Pirates.
The Spaniard resembled a favourite uncle. He always maintained a positive attitude and outlook, prompting his players to introspect rather than yelling at them about what should or could have been after a bad day in the office. And guess what? It worked.
Under Riveiro, Pirates carved out a reputation as cup specialists, winning five domestic trophies out of a possible eight — a feat that slightly made up for the fact they did not claim the greatest honour a club of their calibre could achieve: being crowned the football kings of the land.
But that is all he was good for: domestic football. The reports linking him with the Bafana Bafana job should not stand, as they simply do not have legs. Bafana need someone with a strong personality and commanding presence to succeed the outgoing Hugo Broos after the 2016 Fifa World Cup cycle — and, for me, that person is not Riveiro.
It is not that Riveiro is weak or soft, but his calmness does not bode well for a Bafana coach, who must take a firm stance with squad selection and work within an association that faces challenges — including financial ones — with every passing year.
Sure, Broos and Riveiro may share the methodology of “as long as the players are good enough,” as both integrated youngsters into their respective teams due to the justifiable belief that they are the future of the club or national team.
But does Riveiro have the knack for finding the right depth for the national team, even in the rarest places? Well, that seems unlikely. Of all the youngsters — Relebohile Mofokeng, Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi — that he integrated into the senior structures, they all came from the club’s own ranks: the reserves.
That was, after all, inevitable, especially after he declared that he was not entirely focused on scouting or recommending talent to the club, as he believed the opinions of the collective and the club’s direction were far more important than individual desires.
But that will not be the case at Bafana. The buck will stop with him, as his head — not that of the association — will be on the firing line if things go south.
This is a reality that Broos made clear from the outset — a truth that received mixed reactions from members of the fourth estate, followers of the national team, and critics who did not want him to lead Bafana in the first place.
And that is why he did not allow anyone but himself to interfere with his squad selection — a bold stance, one I do not think Riveiro could have taken, or could take now — that has paid dividends.
Broos selected players based on merit, not popularity. And that is why today there are players from so-called small teams such as Polokwane City and TS Galaxy on his radar, fighting for places in the final squad for the upcoming AFCON finals next month.
The silver-haired Belgian admitted that “only fools do not change their minds,” and proved he is not one by changing his stance on Themba Zwane, who has become one of the best players he has coached at Bafana.
And I bet that will be the only change of mind Broos ever makes as Bafana coach. He has already stated he will not bring the in-form Thembinkosi Lorch back into the national set-up.
I contend that Riveiro, by contrast, would either have reinstated Lorch at the earliest signs of strong form at Wydad or capitulated to external pressure to do so.
Then again, that is who Riveiro is. He is clearly not cut from the same cloth as Broos when it comes to making firm decisions and speaking his mind, regardless of how it lands — especially given how reluctant he was to single out individuals at Pirates.
And that is why, unfortunately, he is not cut out for a job as challenging as the Bafana coaching gig. Because, if anything, his overwhelmingly short-lived stint at the African Club of the Century, Al Ahly, proved exactly that.
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