Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says though the team is excited about the impressive run, the players understand there’s still a long way ahead of them.
Except for the disappointment of the early exit in the Carling Knockout, the Buccaneers have enjoyed a great start to the 2024/25 soccer campaign.
They successfully won the MTN8 for the third time on the trot and Riveiro’s men have won all their seven matches to lead the Betway Premiership standings by 21 points.
This has got their supporters on cloud nine as they believe the team might finally deliver the league title for the first time since 2011/12.
Speaking to the media after beating Richards Bay 1-0 on Tuesday, Riveiro said he is confident that complacency will not become an issue for his side.
“When you are winning and winning there’s always a risk of getting too confident and that’s not the case (with Pirates players),” Riveiro said.
“They are winning in a natural way, they are happy but not too happy. They know that (more) games are coming soon and they know how difficult it going to be week after week.
“There’s not too much excitation around the team. They are training well and are fighting for position in the team, to get the minutes (on the pitch).
“They are happy to win. Winning is a feeling that I cannot even explain, it’s something else. We love to experience that feeling when the game finishes, that’s all we want and to repeat again and again,” he said.
“Right now the team is looking really mature and accepting that now things are going well but not celebrating too much.”
In the past two seasons under Riveiro, Pirates struggled for consistency in the first half of the campaigns.
They would have a strong second half of the season, but it has always been too late as Mamelodi Sundowns had already run away with the title.
