Cape Town - Despite going down to DStv pace-setters Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro is determined to remain in the Premiership title race until the end of the season.
The Spaniard Riveiro says the season has only reached the halfway mark and he feels that the Sundowns reverse will not necessarily impact the destiny of this season's Premiership title.
"The game we played on (last) Friday against Sundowns is not going to make a difference at the end of the season about the position on the table," said Riveiro.
“That’s why the league is so important because you must play well in other matches and go to Cape Town City and get three points and go to other games to try and get three points.
“Had we got three points against Sundowns, it would have helped us to close the gap with one game less or one more than Sundowns we couldn’t and now it is a big difference.
“I would like to face these games closer to our opponents. If we got the three points against Sundowns, that would have meant that we got close to the top.
“But the season is still long, we have played only 14 matches and there are still a lot of points to be played and we will continue to fight until the end.”
Riveiro has not lost heart because of the Sundowns defeat which came at a time when Pirates were without key players such as Richard Ofori, Tebogo Tlolane, Olisa Ndah and playmaker Thembinkosi Lorch.
☠️ 📸 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 📸
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) January 3, 2023
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📍 Rand Stadium
📅 03 January 2023
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Despite being out of action, the Super Eagles defender Ndah has been attracting offers from Europe and if he moves, it will be a big setback for Pirates. He has helped to bring stability to Pirates' defence under Riveiro.
He also feels Pirates' can sustain their championship challenge because he has confidence in the current squad despite the cluster of fixtures in the next few weeks.
"I’m happy with the players that I have, who are available to play," said Riveiro.
"Again, there’s going to be competition in the starting line-up. Let’s see who’s playing next time, the ones who played against Sundowns did a fantastic job.
"Obviously, we didn’t get the results we were looking for.
"As for the fixtures, the schedule is what it is. There’s nothing we can do more than plan as well as possible. It’s part of our job.
"I think January is not that bad in terms of games like it was at the beginning of the season. It will give us the opportunity to train more and train better, and that’s crucial for us to have days to prepare ourselves.
"If we do well in that department, we will definitely look better in the future for sure.
"We are busy trying to organise the schedule as well as possible. We have a big and talented squad. The number of matches is not going to be an issue or an excuse."
The fifth-placed Pirates will play Cape Town City (11th) for their first match in 2023 on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point.
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