Durban — Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has opened up about his and the club’s dreams in continental competitions as they look ahead to competing in the Caf Champions League.
The Buccaneers, winners of the tournament in 1995, have not competed in the competition since the 2018-19 season when they crashed out in the group stage.
Spanish coach Riveiro seems to have steered the Sea Robbers ship to calm tides this season, guiding the club to a second-place finish in the DStv Premiership in his first campaign in charge.
On top of booking their place in next season’s Champions League , the 47-year-old also lifted the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup competitions but has now set his sights on a goal some might deem unrealistic.
Riveiro revealed, immediately after his team’s Nedbank Cup triumph at the weekend, that the approach towards the elite continental competition would be one that befits the size of the club, the plan is to win the tournament.
“Dream, we dream and we have the potential to go all the way,” Riveiro said.
“I'm an optimistic person so when I start a tournament, I go on with the intention to go all the way.
“We're going to find difficult trips, difficult opponents, difficult decisions from the referees so it's a difficult competition.”
Riveiro also revealed how the run of the Mamelodi Sundowns in the competition this season has given his side hope of potentially reaching the latter stages of the tournament.
“Sundowns this season did a fantastic job in that competition, they showed that it is possible for South African teams to compete to the last stages, so why not (us),” he said.
Pirates, under the leadership of Riveiro, have seemingly placed the right pieces of their foundation in place as they look to make ground on the all-conquering Sundowns.
Sundowns won their sixth league title with seven games to go and finished the season 16 points ahead of Pirates.
Pirates will not be strangers to the gruelling journey of continental success after their run to the final of the Caf Confederation Cup last season, a trophy they missed out on through penalties.
Pirates will join Sundowns in the Champions Ceague next season while Supersport United partake in the Confederation Cup alongside Sekhukhune United, who qualified by reaching the Nedbank Cup final.
IOL Sport