After several strange gambles which brought unknown and untested coaches to their hotseat, Orlando Pirates seem to have finally got it right, even as there were legitimate reservations about their latest import, Jose Riveiro.

The Spaniard arrived on these shores last winter to much derision, which was justified given previous experience when the Buccaneers employed coaches of questionable stature, such as Josef Zinnbauer and Kjell Jonevret.

That Riveiro’s curriculum vitae was not dissimilar to those two – a nomad who coached largely in obscure European lower leagues and barely stayed the course – the SA public had reason to doubt his credentials as the right man to revive Pirates’ fortunes.

But tomorrow, the Buccaneers will be contesting their second cup final under Riveiro, having bagged the MTN8 already and secured second place in the DStv Premiership.

“He has done well under the circumstances,” said ex-Pirates attacker Andries Sebola. “Having been called a plumber and all, he didn’t do too badly because he’s won a cup and could win another [tomorrow, when Pirates face Sekhukhune United at Loftus Versfeld]. He also got Pirates back into the [CAF] Champions League. There’s something he’s building there.”

Even the straight-talking Sebola, who last October bemoaned Riveiro’s tactics and declared in an interview with this newspaper that Pirates were in “crisis”, has now been swayed.

“He [Riveiro] has got Pirates playing good football. I guess he needed time to adjust,” Sebola said.

Now Pirates could be the only team to end the season with more than one trophy by tomorrow night, should they see off Sekhukhune. Sebola has, however, cautioned that while Pirates should have sufficient firepower to emerge victorious, Brandon Truter’s Limpopo side won’t be pushovers.

“They [Sekhukhune] have some experience on their side. [Kamohelo] Mokotjo played many years overseas. There’s [Victor] Letsoalo, [Daniel] Cardoso, Edwin Gyimah. So you can’t underestimate them. Also, they have nothing to lose because they are the underdogs, so they will play without pressure. But remember they were underdogs too in the semifinal [against Stellenbosch] and last week against SuperSport United in the league. They drew 1-1 with Pirates recently.”

But Sebola backed Pirates’ momentum to carry them through. “There should be motivation as Riveiro made the nominee list for Coach of the Year. [Monnapule] Saleng as well, has been nominated for Footballer of the Year, while Nkosinathi Sibisi is in the Defender of the Year category. They will want to perform to justify their nominations.”

The big test for Pirates, according to Sebola, will be next season when they partake in the Champions League. “You’ve seen how Sundowns have done over the years. They collect points early so by the time the Champions League starts, they are up there. Pirates will need a big squad to match them. They will have to reinforce,” he said.