Riveiro to lead the Buccaneers for the last time when the team hosts Golden Arrows
Jose Riviero announced last month that he would be leaving the Buccaneers at the end of the season after three years in charge, but his departure comes a little sooner than expected.
Orlando Pirates Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Jose Riveiro will be on the bench for the final time when the team hosts Golden Arrows on Tuesday evening. Picture: Orlando Pirates Football Club
JOHANNEBSURG - Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro will lead the club for the last time on Tuesday evening when they host Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium in the Betway Premiership.
Riviero announced last month that he would be leaving the Buccaneers at the end of the season after three years in charge, but his departure comes a little sooner than expected.
The club has granted him an early release from his contract amid reports that he will be joining Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
The Spanish coach has brought sustained success to Pirates since he was appointed in July 2022, where he’s won 5 trophies, including this season’s MTN8 trophy. Until a few the Soweto giants were on course for a quadruple haul of silverware but suffered a narrow elimination in the CAF Champions League before stumbling in the Premiership title race and then losing to arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup final last weekend.
Pirates chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza confirmed that the latest development had been in the pipeline for weeks and was not a knee-jerk reaction to having little else but 2nd place on the table to play for.
“Jose approached us a few weeks ago with a request to be released from his contract ahead of schedule, having signed with a new club. Given the timing, amidst a series of crucial fixtures, we believed it was best to delay this announcement until after the Nedbank Cup Final. His contribution since joining the Club has been immense. We learned a lot from him, and he learned a lot from us,” Khoza said.
Speaking to orlandopiratesfc.com, Riveiro said: “I want to express my sincere appreciation to Orlando Pirates for allowing me the opportunity to leave before the end of my contract. As someone who has never found goodbyes easy, this moment is particularly emotional for me.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone at the Club, from management and technical staff to the players and the many individuals behind the scenes who work tirelessly to support the team. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this great Club’s story.”
Assistant Coach Mandla Ncikazi will take charge of the team on an interim basis for the remaining five games this season.
Ncikazi will be supported by head performance analyst Rayaan Jacobs.
Kick off at Orlando Stadium is at 7:30