As high-profile players in some of Europe’s elite professional leagues threatened to go on strike over the punishing fixture schedule this week, Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro believes Africa is also following suit in term of the increased number of games and clubs will have to find ways to manoeuvre around the situation.
Amid the upcoming fixture congestion with numerous cup competitions set to be played this season in the Betway Premiership, Bucs coach Riveiro has outlined how he will manage his squad and national team players like Relebohile Mofokeng and Thalente Mbatha.
The Buccaneers played their Caf Champions League preliminary round second leg against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy yesterday and are now shifting their focus on their next game against Polokwane City in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday night.
In a space of 11 days, Pirates would have played a total of four games in two different competitions, with travelling in and out of the country also in play. It will be their life throughout the season, as they will at most be participating in five competitions.
Some of their players such as Patrick Maswanganyi, Olisah Ndah, Deon Hotto, Mofokeng, and Mbatha will be involved with their respective national teams for either or both the 2025 Afcon and the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
“In terms of managing our players, it’s important to be accurate in our analysis, the numbers around the team – I mean every kind of number to prevent possible injuries and other things.
“We are playing this weekend, then we play again on Tuesday with Polokwane City, and we have a long trip to Durban to play against Richards Bay,” said Riveiro.
“So, this requires a strong mentally more than anything when you are in these types of situations. The best way to recover ourselves is by winning. As long as you continue winning, you become more optimistic.
“And then from the coach’s perspective, you don’t have time to do what you like or what you feel that the team needs to do on the field.
“It’s more about video analysis and corrections. So, we are exploring a new territory a new space that we don’t know, and we need to be ready for it by being in good shape, space, and mood as a team.”
