New coach Riveiro can help Pirates challenge Sundowns for title: Shandu

New Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is bringing confidence to the club’s multi-talented squad, and Bucs can challenge trophy machine Mamelodi Sundowns for the DStv Premiership title in 2022-23, Bucs right-back Bandile Shandu says.

After failing to win a trophy last season, Bucs’ management have brought in the Spaniard , whose major experience was gained in the Finnish top-flight.

Shandu said Pirates are getting used to Riveiro's methods.

“He's a good coach and we're all happy and willing to improve from last season. Every single player is behind the new coach,” Shandu said.

“Because of the way we ended the season [losing to RS Berkane in the Caf Confederation Cup final], he's bringing confidence back to us because we want to win that trophy.

“The confidence was a bit down and he's pushing us to focus on the new season and we're very optimistic about what we can achieve.”

Though he had a dream debut season with Pirates after signing from Mariztburg United at the start of the 2021-2022 campaign, Shandu feels he'll need to continue working hard to keep his position.

“I think for every player what's important is to improve from last season,” he said.

“No matter how good your season was, the most important thing is to improve it.

“I want to provide more assists and help my teammates more while also scoring more goals. But I won't do anything without my teammates.

“Even last season all my goals and what I contributed were because of my teammates. They helped me settle in and it shows how good we are and the group we are. We have that brotherhood and it made my job even easier because of how I settled in.”

Having looked at Bucs’ new signings, who include Cameroonian striker Bienvenu Eva Nga, midfielder Miguel Timm, central defenders Nkosinathi Sibisi and Tapelo Xoki, Shandu feels they can challenge five-time successive champions Sundowns for the Premiership.

“Definitely,” he said.

“Orlando Pirates have always been strong even before I arrived. It's a big club in Africa and we always want to win stuff.

“Our supporters always want to win stuff, so yes we're looking very strong and we're aiming to contest everything.”

Shandu said what let the team down as they went without a trophy last season was their poor ratio in converting the chances they created.

“We created so many chances but we didn't convert. That's the main thing, converting our chances, because every game we create chances. That's a definite, we all know that.

“But it's just a matter of putting it in the back of the net and that's what we need to improve on. Every chance we get we need to be clinical.”