Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has expressed his happiness at his side's recent rich vein of form after they climbed up to second on league standings.
The Sea Robbers broke down a resilient Richards Bay with goals from Terrence Dvukamanja and Monnapule Saleng at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.
Riveiro’s men have nine victories in their last 11 outings, surging their way up to the only remaining CAF Champions League qualification spot with SuperSport United and Kaizer Chiefs hot on their heels.
The Spanish mentor revealed his happiness at his side’s recent consistency but highlighted his player’s ability to turn up on match days as a key point of motivation.
“The results are there ... Pirates are winning a lot of games but what’s important for me is what I see from the players,” he told the media.
“It’s what I see in the training and what they do in the games like today, they fought in every single action and the way they fought also in the extra time, trying to not concede, and that’s the most important and that’s what is going to make us consistent.”
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When quizzed about his side’s progression in his first season in charge Riveiro said: “There’s always one topic to discuss, early in the season we were discussing that we don’t capitalise on our chances and then we were discussing that we don’t score in the second half and now it’s lack of consistency.
“We’re getting there, we’re getting it right, the team is improving from my point of view and we feel that inside with the players but the lead (of Mamelodi Sundown) is still very far and this team must and should play better in the future.”
Pirates’s latest turnaround has coincided with Zimbabwean international Terrence Dvukamanje finding his form but Riveiro expressed that, despite fans criticising him, he trusts him enough to start him.
“If the coach is playing Dvukamanja, it’s because I’m 100% sure of his contributions to the team and that goes for (Monnapule) Saleng, (Thembinkosi) Lorch and KB (Kabelo Dlamini), it doesn’t matter and luckily for us we have 30 players who are always ready to play and that says a lot about Pirates as a group this year.
Riveiro will hope his side can continue their impressive form when they travel to Chippa United on Saturday.
@ScribeSmiso