Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is closing in on a milestone at the club as he will reach 100 games in charge of the Buccaneers on Tuesday.
Pirates host Richards Bay at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday, looking to set a record seven straight league wins, as they continue their push for a first PSL title since 2012 and it will be a special day for their Spanish coach.
Riveiro, who arrived at Pirates in July 2022 with doubts over his credentials, has since silenced his critics and is on course to become only the second coach to complete three seasons with the Sea Robbers.
The 47-year-old’s stay at Pirates has been marked with success, five trophies won in just over two seasons, making history as the first team to claim three straight MTN8 crowns, while he has won the Nedbank Cup in each of his last two campaigns.
Jose Riveiro has turned Pirates into believers
League glory has, however, proved elusive for Riveiro, whose team have managed back-to-back second place finishes to Mamelodi Sundowns but the margins were too big, exposing the gulf in class between the two sides.
However, this season, Pirates look to be closing the gap as they have put together a six-game winning run in the league to spiring to the summit of the table and have also made progress on the continent where they are set to feature in the CAF Champions League group stages for the first time in five years.
This all down to Riveiro, who has transformed the club from doubters into believers, and built a team that is now not afraid to enforce themselves on opponents while also ready to be pragmatic when the situation dictates so.
Bucs so far coping well with fixture congestion
Some have doubted if they have the depth to sustain their good run given, they are challenging on multiple fronts, but they have passed the early exams, overcoming injuries to key players such as Olisah Ndah, Thalente Mbatha, Deano van Rooyen and Monnapule Saleng to continue posting positive results while youngsters such as Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota are also flourishing under the Spanish mentor.
Heading into his century of games, Riveiro is a confident man after his team lost just one in 15 across all competitions while drawing two, bringing home 12 wins in that period, a record that has Bucs supporters dreaming of more trophies.
Riveiro will hope to celebrate his milestone with another win as he looks forward to joining Dutchman Ruud Krol as the only tacticians to have gone three seasons at the helm of the Sea Robbers since 1971.
Can the Spanish coach emulate Dutchman Ruud Krol?
Krol won the league in his third season in 2011, before his contract was not renewed, and Riveiro will be hoping to join him in the exclusive club although his future beyond July 2025 is not known.
Pirates recently revealed how being far away from his wife and young daughter is having a toll on Riveiro, explaining the sacrifices he has made to ensure the Soweto giants remain on top, and that is a cause for worry for Bucs fans who have taken him to heart.
There has been no talk of a contract extension for Riveiro and it appears he and the club are at crossroads. The need to go back and spend time with his family could be a factor in the decision-making while the Pirates hierarchy will be in a dilemma over how to replace him.
In all, Riveiro has so far given 99 reasons why he should stay at Pirates and fans will be hoping that he chooses them over his family, a delicate balancing act for the tactician.
