Could Jose Riveiro to ditch Orlando Pirates for Bafana Bafana?
Having won five trophies in two-and-a-half years at Orlando Pirates and with his contract coming to an end, could Jose Riveiro coach Bafana?
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro recently led the All-Stars side to a 3-0 win over Magesi FC last weekend.
This was in a once-off game which saw the All-Stars take on the champions of the Carling Knockout Cup Magesi.
Riveiro has had success in working with local talent
Riveiro was also the man at the helm of the All-Stars side from 2023, which beat 2023 Champions Stellenbosch FC. These sides comprised of players from different teams, mainly Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. Not only the senior guys but also the youngsters of these teams. For some, they were getting their first minutes of professional football at a senior level.
But Riveiro was able to get them all singing to one tune, all in a short space of time. Speaking after the All-Stars game the Pirates coach was asked if he would consider coaching Bafana Bafana.
Would he consider coaching Bafana?
“You never know (on coaching Bafana). Right now my focus is obviously on the responsibility that I have (Pirates), trust me I have enough. Usually national teams used to be for coaches with more experience, but you can see it is changing right now there are some young coaches at top national teams in the world. But who knows? I like coaching and doing my best when I’m invited to such spaces, I don’t think so much about what happens in the future,” said the coach as per Soccer-Laduma.
This becomes an important question when you look at the success Riveiro has had in South African football. Since joining Pirates, he has won five trophies and twice finished runners up to Mamelodi Sundowns in the league. He has now got the Buccaneers into the group stages of the CAF Champions League. Should he win the title, he may seek a new challenge after three years at the Soweto giants.
Pirates contract expires soon
With Riveiro’s contract up at the end of the season, should he continue at Pirates through an extension? Or should he consider going into national team football, maybe with Bafana? or be Hugo Broos’s successor post 2026? Feel free to leave your thoughts and feelings in the comments below.