Despite their recent overwhelming dominance in domestic cup competitions, Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has insisted that winning the DStv Premiership is still the most important feat that he wants to achieve.
Pirates advanced to the quarterfinals of the Carling Black Label Knockout cup competition after beating strugglers Cape Town Spurs 2-0 at the Orlando Stadium on Friday night, thanks to second half goals from captain Thapelo Xoki from the penalty spot and striker Kermit Erasmus.
Speaking to the media after the match, Riveiro made a candid admission that in spite of their stellar performances in cup competitions, his side still has a mandate to deliver the league title to Bucs fans.
“The fact is that we haven’t won the league for a long period [since 2011/12 season],” Riveiro said.
“The league is the most important competition; it goes without saying. It’s 30 games, home and away against everybody in every type of circumstances.
“So, the league is the most important competition, and we really want to find our rhythm also in that competition. It’s a very peculiar situation…in the last 65 or 66 days we played two league games which is very unusual.
“Today, we played our fourth competition in two months and a half. We’re trying to keep the level in every tournament we play. We’re trying our best.
Even so, the Spaniard did admit that even though his long-term goal is returning the Sea Robbers glory days by winning the league, the success that he has enjoyed in the domestic cup competitions has come in handy in boosting the morale of the team and ultimately challenging for the league title.
Pirates are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table on number 14 – one spot from the relegation zone and 17 points behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
They do, however, have four games in hand and will return to league action when they travel to Durban in KwaZulu Natal, where they will go toe-to-toe against AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night.
