With teary eyes, as he reflected on his first season at Orlando Pirates, Coach Jose Riveiro hinted at Terrence Dzvukamanja’s future at the club.
The Zimbabwean struck on the stroke of full time to hand Pirates a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United to lift the Nedbank Cup.
Babina Noko had taken the lead in the 13th minute through Sibusiso Vilakazi before Bucs levelled terms through a Tapelo Xoki penalty.
It was Riveiro’s second trophy of his maiden season in South Africa. The Spaniard joined Bucs at the start of the season, unknown to many.
PIRATES COACH SHEDS TEARS
Speaking to SuperSport TV after the match, the 47-year-old shed a tear or two. “It’s difficult to play in a final. We were a bit too nervous. Not controlling the game with the ball as we were supposed to do it.
“My players did everything. It’s not easy to play on an exciting day like this. We’re learning. We’re getting better. We want to play more finals. This is gonna be a good learning process for us.
“I’m happy with the victory for everybody, the fans, the people in the club,” a visibly emotional Riveiro said. Asked what it had taken to achieve this feat, he stressed it was merely hard work.
“Hours and hours and hours of dedication of the players, many training sessions. Nothing else. We do our best every day. That’s the key. The players have quality,” explained the Bucs’ mentor.
He credited the players for helping him settle into his first season in the country. “The way they helped me throughout the season. I will be thankful for the rest of my life,” he said as he shed a tear.
When asked how Monnapule Saleng combined with Dzvukamanja to get Bucs the winning goal, he spoke about the Zimbabwean forward.
“Terrence deserves it; I’m so happy for him because he went through a difficult time during the season.
RIVEIRO ON DZVUKAMANJA FUTURE
“The boy was struggling and suffering a lot. Sometimes people weren’t understanding. He’s a fantastic player. That’s why he’s playing for Orlando Pirates. He went through a lot,” he said.
The Warriors forward is out of contract at the end of next month. But judging Riveiro’s response, he will likely stay at the club.
The Buccaneers are back in Africa when they play in the CAF Champions League and will need squad depth.
Riveiro’s admiration of the former Bidvest Wits, coupled with his resurgence in the second half of the season, should keep him at the club.
His goal on Saturday was his eighth of the season, with the other seven goals coming from the DStv Premiership.
On Monday, SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews revealed they came close to signing the 29-year-old on loan. However, an upturn in form saw Pirates decide to keep him.
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