Pirates will run their own race for league title, says Riveiro

One defeat with a good performance against a competitive Stellenbosch FC changes nothing and Orlando Pirates will continue to run their own race for the Betway Premiership title, says Bucs coach Jose Riveiro said.

If there is a match where a championship-chasing team will not be overly fazed at dropping three points, it is against Steve Barker’s excellent, competitive Stellies. The Cape side’s 1-0 win at Orlando Stadium on Sunday via Devin Titus’s 33rd-minute winner brought to an end Pirates’ run of eight wins with one defeat in all competitions and eight games unbeaten in the Premiership.

“It’s a difficult team to play for sides like us, whose style of play is based on possession,” Riveiro admitted after, not for the first time, Stellies plotted a reversal against his side.

“It’s a really organised team behind the ball. They don’t have any problem with spending long periods without the ball, like in the second half.

“The solidarity in their group is exceptional. If you saw today, every time ‘Rele’ [Relebohile Mofokeng] and [Mohau] Nkota, or ‘Tito’ [Patrick Maswangani], our forwards, were on the ball, they always had three, four bodies harassing them — with no time, no opportunity to turn, especially after they got the lead.

“They have a lot of speed up front with [Devin] Titus, Sanele [Barns], even [Ashley] Cupido, so it’s a permanent threat for a team that is trying to build chances through possession.

“Because you feel you are in control but then what happened is a situation we already saw many times, right? Titus running, one transition behind your fullback and scoring the winning goal.”

Bucs’ first league defeat of 2024-25, and Mamelodi Sundowns’ 3-0 home win against Sekhukhune United on Saturday, saw the Brazilians take the lead in the Premiership on goal difference, with both sides on 21 points.

Pirates’ coach was asked if the result has any relevance in the title race.

“We have the same amount of points — exactly the same,” he said. “We lost today, they lost against Polokwane City a few weeks ago.

“So we have to run our race — that’s it. We played against Stellenbosch today; we didn’t play against Mamelodi Sundowns. We are competing against Sundowns, Stellenbosch, Kaizer Chiefs, Arrows — against everybody. It’s three points in every game.

“And it’s only eight [games played]. I know we are in December and should have maybe 15 games already in the league. That’s why you are a bit anxious with this question — but it’s only eight. Some of the teams [have played] not even eight. So it’s still early.

“There are going to be teams that you are not looking at right now who will finish in the top three or four — 100%, they are coming.”

Pirates have an open week of preparation for their big Caf Champions League group B game against 12-time winners Al Ahly at Orlando on Saturday (3pm).

“In this period it’s a luxury to have four days — five with recovery — to prepare for the game as well as possible,” Riveiro said.

“Obviously now we look to the future. The next game is going to be something else. We are going to be tested at a very high level. And we will face the week with good attitude, motivation and the ambition to offer a good performance on Saturday here against Al Ahly.

“Having those days and the possibility to rest, I think gives us something extra to ensure there are no excuses and on Saturday we can be at the level that the competition requires and the opponent will ask.”

Pirates started group B with a win against CR Belouizdad in Algeria and a home victory against Egyptian giants Ahly would put Bucs well on the path to the quarterfinals.