Newly appointed Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro is happy to have coached Orlando Pirates since it gave him a massive experience.
The Spaniard joined the Buccaneers in the 2022/23 season, signing a three-year deal which concluded at the end of the most recent campaign. Riveiro was in charge of 132 games, where he won 80, drew 26, and lost as many.
The Soweto giants won three MTN8 crowns and two Nedbank Cups. In the 2024/25 edition, his team reached the Caf Champions League semi-final, played the Nedbank Cup final but lost against old rivals Kaizer Chiefs, and managed to finish second in the Premier Soccer League.
‘I was running a project at Bucs'
The 49-year-old insists it wasn't a walk in the park at the Sea Robbers, but he is happy with what he managed to achieve.
“Of course, being a coach at Orlando Pirates helped me a lot. The idea at Orlando Pirates is that I was not coaching a team, I was running a project there to build a whole team of young players. It was difficult, but I learnt a lot from it. I was able to win five titles, and I was able to participate in the [CAF Champions League]. And I was able to reach the final stages of the [Premier Soccer League] more than once,” he told Al Ahly TV.
“Through Orlando Pirates, I was able to help a lot of young players become stars in Africa. First, because they were qualified. Secondly, because they were trained in a scientific way. Of course, the support system helped me a lot. And the management of the club, which had a vision of how to bring out a generation of young players capable of competing in all the African championships.
“The experience at Pirates helped me a lot. I was able to get to know Africa in my role and my abilities as a coach; I wasn’t afraid,” Riveiro continued.
‘I will face many challenges at Al Ahly'
“I am an expert, I know that I came here with a different culture. And I know that here people have a different understanding of football. But I accept the challenges from the club,” the Spaniard added.
“I know that I will face many challenges. But I learnt from my previous experience that I have to agree with this new culture. And any other culture I will face or live with. And the culture of Al Ahly, I know it well.
“I knew it before I came here. The first and the last culture of the club is to win all the championships you can participate in. And I know that I’m at a big club. I want to win all the championships available in front of me,” Riveiro concluded.
His first big assignment will be guiding his team in the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 13.
