Riveiro promises improved showing for Bucs

After completing a cup double  with the Nedbank Cup win against Sekhukhune United on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has promised his side will improve from their excellent campaign.

In his first season , Riveiro guided the club to the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles. Pirates also finished second in the DStv Premiership and qualified for the CAF Champions League.

But the Spaniard is not planning to rest on his laurels as he wants the side to improve next season and achieve more success.

“We have a fantastic group, we have the resources and this will help us to be where we want to be in future,” Riveiro told the media after the match.

“It is not because of me that we are committed and we try to do our best, we have bad days and better days and we are competitive and we will be even more.

“Next season we are going to try again. Everyone will start with zero points in every competition. We’ll try to do things differently in every competition.

“If we do the same things, we are not going to get the same results as this season. We need to move forward because every team is going to be moving forward as well.

“They are going to try to get better, and we can’t be an exception. We can’t be thinking that now we are double champions, everything next season is going to be a bed of roses.”

Sibusiso Vilakazi had given Sekhukhune a lead 12 minutes into the game before Tapelo Xoki netted from a questionable penalty at the stroke of half time before Terrence Dzvukamanja scored the winner in the 94th minute.

Riveiro admitted that his side didn’t play well in the Nedbank Cup competition but that he was happy with the achievements.

“We didn’t play good football in this competition but we were competitive. That’s important. I think we managed to win every knockout game during the season in every competition in official matches..

“That’s going to be a huge value for the group for the future. I think at the same time the games were entertaining enough for the fans, with emotions till the end.”

Riveiro is also looking forward to playing in the Champions League next season.

“We have the potential to go all the way. When I start the tournament I start with the intention of going all the way and we will find difficult trips, difficult opponents, difficult decisions from the referees. It is a difficult competition.

“But Mamelodi Sundowns this season did a fantastic job. They showed that it is possible for SA teams to compete until the last stages.”