League is the most important, says Riveiro despite Pirates’ cup success

Contrary to popular belief, Orlando Pirates are not prioritising cup competitions over the DStv Premiership title — and coach Jose Riveiro says the reality that such a high-profile club has not won the league in 11 years bothers him.

Pirates will be out to improve on their 14th place in the DStv Premiership, though having played only five games to most teams' eight or nine, when they meet AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).

Under Riveiro, Bucs have appeared to be cup specialists, winning all three domestic trophies they have taken part in since the Spanish coach arrived ahead of last season.

Riveiro won last campaign's MTN8 title four months into his new job and ended last season with triumph in the Nedbank Cup before defending the MTN8 this month.

Pirates would now seem favourites to win the Carling Knockout Cup, where they are set to meet struggling Richards Bay FC in the quarterfinals after Bucs' 2-0 last-16 win against Cape Town Spurs at Orlando Stadium on Friday.

The other so-called big guns — Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Cape Town City — have been knocked out of the tournament. 

Riveiro stressed the league, which they last won in 2011-12, remains the most important competition to Bucs.

“It’s a fact we haven’t won the league in a long time,” Riveiro said.

“The league is the most important competition, it goes without saying. [You play] 30 games away and home against everybody in every type of circumstance, under hot and raining [conditions]. So it’s the most important competition and we really want to find our rhythm in that competition.”

Pirates finished second to six-time successive champions Sundowns last season under Riveiro, but by a 16-point gap. This season they trail Downs by 17 points well before the halfway stage having lost two games, though the number of games in hand is also a major factor.

Riveiro insisted Pirates apply the same energy to league and cup games.    

“It’s a particular situation [because] in the last 65 or 66 days we have played two league games, which is very unusual. [On Friday] we played our fourth competition in two-and-a-half months.

“We are trying to maintain the level in every tournament we play in. It's difficult mentally to face this amount of competition in a short space of time, but trust me that our intention is at the same level in our league games.

“We are now 100% focused on the AmaZulu game on Tuesday.

“Personally, I think that my opinion will be shared by any other coach in the world — the league is the most important tournament.

“It doesn’t mean other tournaments are not important. Every competition has relevance because [it presents] an opportunity to improve the history of the club.”

AmaZulu will be oozing confidence after knocking Chiefs out of the Carling Cup on Saturday.