Jose Riveiro celebrated his 100th game as head coach of Orlando Pirates in style, guiding the team to a hard fought 1-0 victory over Richards Bay on Tuesday night.
This win extended the Mighty Buccaneers’ flawless start in the Betway Premiership, to an impressive seven consecutive victories, marking a historic evening for both club and coach.
All Eyes on Me
An old saying: don’t judge a book by its cover. Yet, in football, the reverse often rings true. Football has a propensity to judge people too quickly.
A person like Jose was judged before even setting foot on the pitch. On June 25, 2022, when Orlando Pirates announced Jose Riveiro as their new coach, opinions poured in from pundits and fans alike, and many were prematurely critical.
Riveiro found himself scrutinised and even undermined by fellow contemporaries who even took the time to throw cryptic snide remarks at the mention of his appointment.
However, rather than being weighed down by these detractors, Jose chose to focus on the task at hand. Occupying his time and efforts to building a body of work worth noting.
His journey has transformed the scepticism into admiration, proving that patience and hard work conquers all.
Record Breaker
With his success on Tuesday night, Riveiro has firmly etched his name in Orlando Pirates’ history books. At 100 games, he joins an elite rank, becoming only the second coach in the PSL era, after Ruud Krol (119 games), to reach this milestone with the club.
