Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has reflected on his achievement of equalling Stuart Baxter’s record in the famed Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs.
With Pirates’ 2-1 comeback victory over Amakhosi at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Riveiro became the second coach, alongside former Chiefs coach Baxter, to achieve five derby wins.
Evidence Makgopa cancelled out Glody Lilepo’s opener for Chiefs in the first half, before Relebohile Mofokeng’s second-half strike earned a league double over their Soweto rivals.
The soft-spoken coach, set to leave Bucs at the end of the season, also etched his name in Soweto Derby history by becoming the first coach to win five consecutive league encounters against Chiefs in the PSL era.
In addition, he achieved the distinction of being the first coach in PSL history to complete a league double over Chiefs in consecutive seasons.
Chiefs’ last derby victory came in February 2023 under Arthur Zwane, concluding their own historic five-game winning streak against Pirates, achieved under the tenures of Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter, and Zwane.
However, Riveiro has firmly established a new era of derby dominance for the Buccaneers with five wins and two defeats in his seven games against Amakhosi.
‘FIVE WINS IS GOOD, BUT ONE MORE TO PLAY’: RIVEIRO ON SOWETO DERBY DOMINANCE
Riveiro could well surpass Baxter’s overall derby win record before returning home to Spain. To do so, he needs to guide Pirates to retain their Nedbank Cup title when they face the same Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium next Saturday, 10 May.
The Pirates coach has acknowledged the importance of his record of five Soweto Derby victories against Chiefs. However, the Spaniard emphasised that his primary focus remains on the upcoming Nedbank Cup final against the same opponents, rather than personal milestones.
Reflecting on his journey since his first derby experience, Riveiro highlighted Pirates’ performance as the key to their success.
“That’s good [to win five games in a row in the Soweto Derby], definitely,” he said. “But there is still one more to play and hopefully [we win it]. So now the target is not because of my record, obviously, actually I think [it is about the team].
“I think three years ago, after my first derby here [FNB Stadium], the first question coming from my left was something like ‘congratulations, you are the first Spanish coach to lose one game at FNB’ and now we’re sitting here with five victories, so I’m happy with the performance of the players “
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