‘His best is coming’, Riveiro says of Maswanganyi ahead of Bucs’ cup game against Hungry Lions

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says the best is yet to come from Patrick Maswanganyi, the team's playmaker who took man-of-the-match in Bucs' 3-2 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby last Saturday.

Pirates are preparing to meet first division outfit Hungry Lions in the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (6pm). 

The Pirates coach said it was important players like Maswanganyi keep their feet on the ground and are fully focused in their next game against Lions despite the fact people continue to rave about how good they were in the derby. 

Riveiro said they'll approach Saturday's match with caution while wanting to see players like Maswanganyi maintaining their focus and form.

“It's not me as a coach. I think it's the environment, players around him, the way we tried to play. I think he benefits out of that,” Riveiro said about Maswanganyi, who joined Pirates from SuperSport at the start of the season.

“I don't like to get the credit of the transformation or improvements. Everybody around the players is there to try to help to get them better, to make them confident and trust themselves. 

“I'm happy for the boy because it's not easy to make it, to play for Pirates. It's not easy to do it in the way he's doing. Hopefully he can continue improving because I think there's room, there's space for him to be more complete and to be a better player and more consistent. 

“I think it's going to happen. He's a guy who likes to play football, it's easy to see. With that approach the only thing that's going to happen from now until the end of his career is improvement. I think his best is coming.”  

The suspension of Thabiso Lebitso will force the Pirates coach to find another full back to play on the right side of his team's defence against Lions on Saturday.

Lebitso, 32, was a surprise signing from Chippa United by Pirates in the January transfer window. The right back position has been giving Riveiro sleepless nights for some time after regulars Thabiso Monyane and Bandile Shandu finished the 2022-2023 campaign with injuries.

Midfielder Fortune Makaringe played most matches this season at right back as Riveiro battled to find a natural right-footed defender to play in that position while waiting for the recovery of Monyane and Shandu.

Injured left back Paseka Mako was used by Riveiro at right back last season when Shandu and Monyane were not available.

With Lebitso, who scored a cracker of an equaliser in last week's Soweto derby, missing this weekend because of the four yellow cards he's accumulated, Riveiro again will look to Monyane and other players to play at right back against Lions on Saturday.

Monyane, who has played 13 matches this season (some coming on as a substitute for Makaringe), did replace Lebitso in the closing minutes of Saturday's derby and will be the player expected to start against Lions.

“He (Lebitso) came to the team with three yellow cards from Chippa and got the fourth one against Chiefs,” Riveiro said about Lebitso, who won't be available in Saturday's match alongside striker Evidence Makgopa and Mako, who are both injured.