Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has expressed the belief that there is little to separate his team from Mamelodi Sundowns in the ongoing race for the Premier Soccer League title, despite their recent heavy 4-1 loss to the Brazilians.
The defeat at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last weekend dealt a blow to Pirates’ hopes of closing the gap on Sundowns, leaving them nine points adrift at the top of the table. With Sundowns having accumulated 42 points from 15 matches, while Pirates have managed just 33 points, the gap has widened significantly.
However, Riveiro remains confident in his squad’s strength and insists that the result could have been different had his players converted their chances in the match. He emphasized that the Bucs had several opportunities to score, but they failed to capitalize on them, which ultimately contributed to their downfall.
While acknowledging that Sundowns were the superior side on the day, Riveiro believes his team still has the quality to challenge for the title and remains hopeful that with better finishing, they can compete with the best.
“The difference between the two teams will show at the end of the season, after 30 games,” said Riveiro.
“Then we will see if we are on the same level, or if the difference is big, or if it’s not. But today [Saturday] is just one game.
“The game can go in different directions. If we had scored in the first half, although in my opinion, Sundowns were better than us.”
Grant Kekana opened the scoring in the top-of-the-table Betway Premiership clash on 13 minutes. Lucas Costa added a second with 27 minutes on the clock. Deon Hotto pulled a goal back for Pirates with 57 minutes played, but Costa restored the Brazilians’ advantage just two minutes later, as Teboho Mokoena sealed the result with his goal with 12 minutes of the match remaining.
The result saw Sundowns end the afternoon nine points clear of second-placed Bucs at the top of the standings, although having played a game more.
The Sowetans are in action this weekend in the Nedbank Cup, with their fixture against Baroka FC set to kick off at 15:00 on Saturday, 15 February 2025.
Meanwhile, it’s a swift turnaround for Cardoso & Co as they have a midweek Betway Premiership clash with TS Galaxy to contend with. Kick off at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is set for 19:30 on Tuesday, 11 February 2025.