Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro could not hide his emotion after securing a new club record in his 100th game in charge of the Soweto giants.
Pirates moved six points clear of Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the Betway Premiership, albeit having played a game more, with seven consecutive wins to start the new season.
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A feat never been achieved by the club, and only bettered by Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns in Premier Soccer League history.
This after beating Richards Bay 1-0 on Tuesday evening at Orlando Stadium, courtesy of an Evidence Makgopa strike in the first half.
“We started a new project here two years and four months ago, with three years contract. So, every time you start a project, you want to finish the project, not obviously counting how many games you’re going to be on charge,” the Spanish mentor said.
“But you come with the intention and with the illusion to to do your best, it is a privilege for me, it’s an honor to to get this opportunity, to be in this position where I am right now, to represent a club like Orlando Pirates in a position of a head coach.
“I’m a very fortunate person to have that honor one more time, and then the number of games it’s it’s related with our performance, with with the fact that we have an excellent team this season, one season ago, two seasons ago, we manage always to compete properly.
“Sometimes with, if you go through those 100 matches, I think that you will find higher, higher amounts of good moments than bad moments for us as a team.
“So, like you said, I think it is good today, but tomorrow it is anecdotic. We will be thinking the 101 and then the next one. But I’m not gonna lie I’m proud of what we what we achieved as a team so far and look into the future with optimums and illusion.”
Riveiro also addressed achieving a new club record after winning the first seven league games for the first time in the PSL era.
“And the seven games, that’s probably even more important than the 100 games, in my opinion, it’s the fact that the boys managed to break one record tells quite a lot about how difficult is to win consistently,” he continued.
“To win one game after the other, until getting seven and now it’s in our hands to to keep winning, not because we want to establish a new record or more difficult one, but is in our hands to continue winning, and that’s the aim.
“And not really thinking for me [about] the records. It’s just a sign of how difficult it is, something that you achieve when it’s the first time that somebody did it. So, I’m happy for the boys, happy for the club in general. And like I said to the next one.”
Pirates will now regroup in the FIFA international break ahead of their CAF Champions League group stage opener against Algerian giants CR Belouizdad.
