Bucs coach Jose Riveiro to quit at end of season. Photo: Sipho Siso

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Orlando Pirates Spanish mentor Jose Riveiro has dropped a bombshell saying he had decided to call time on his coaching stint at the Mighty Buccaneers and will be leaving the club at the end of the current season. Riveiro announced his decision to terminate his contract with the Sea Robbers soon after his league match with Polokwane City, saying he had met and communicated his plans to leave the Betway Premiership side with club chairperson Dr Irvin ‘Iron Duke’ Khoza. “I wanted to give the club and its fans and particularly Dr Khoza the respective all of them deserve and afford them the necessary time and space to find a replacement so that my departure does not have a disruptive impact on one of the country’s historic and most decorated clubs. I want to afford them enough time to find a replacement so there is a smooth transition,” Riveiro said. Riveiro hopes to leave the club at its highest peak in terms of performance and achievements,
as he still has a fair chance to dislodge the rampant Mamelodi Sundowns from bagging its 8th league championship trophy in a row. The Yellow Machine of Sundowns currently tops the league with 58 points from 23 games and won 19 of those, drawing one and losing three with seven more games before the end of the season. The Sea Robbers on the other hand is playing catch up on Masandawana, having amassed 46 points from 20 games so far, winning 15, drawing one and losing four, with four games in hand and 10 more to go before the end of the 16-team league. The Buccaneers scored 32 goals, conceded 14 and have a goal difference of 18 while the free scoring Yellow Machine managed to score 51 goals and only conceded 14, with a huge goal difference of 37. “I believe we still have a fair chance to overtake Sundowns and bag the league if only we can keep our cool and focus on the task ahead. I have constantly told the players this is doable and it’s within our hands to win the league,” he said. The club is still yet to communicate its plans on finding a new mentor, whether from a pool of talented local coaches or abroad and one of the most taunted is former Sundowns and Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane, the man accredited with having laid the foundation for the current success being enjoyed by Masandawana.
By the time he left for the Egyptian side Al Ahly, Mosimane has already taken the league four or so times in a row and the smashing of records still on and on.