Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has shared his thoughts on Jose Riveiro’s stint as the head coach of Orlando Pirates.
The Spanish mentor is in the last few months of his contract with the Buccaneers, and he’s set to leave the club at the end of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season.
Riveiro will see his existing contract with Pirates expire on the 30th of June 2025 after taking over the hot seat in July 2022. In his three seasons with Pirates, the 49-year-old established himself as one of the best coaches on the African continent.
The tactician has won five domestic trophies with the Soweto giants, and he has propelled his side to playing mouth-watering possession-based football. Under Riveiro, Pirates won three successive MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cup trophies. They also reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, where they lost to Pyramids FC .
NABI SHARES THOUGHTS ON JOSE RIVEIRO’S EXIT AT PIRATES
With the Ghosts looking to defend their Nedbank Cup trophy when they face Chiefs in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 10 May, Nabi has given his observation on Riveiro’s spell and says that his rival coach didn’t have the best start to his time at Pirates.
“I have big respect for my colleague Jose Riveiro, I know that the first season for him was not easy,” Nabi said at Naturena. “It was not easy for him, it’s not easy for any coach starting a process. Even Mr Pitso Mosimane didn’t have a good start with Mamelodi Sundowns.
“The first season is not always easy, but if you observe now what’s happening with Mr Jose Riveiro and the fans, it’s good. It’s the end of his contract at Pirates, and I understand the emotions of the supporters [about the coach leaving].”
Meanwhile, Chiefs coach Nabi has had a challenging start to life in his first season with Amakhosi. The Tunisian joined Naturena-based outfit ahead of the current campaign, and his side is sitting ninth on the league table with 30 points in 26 matches played.
On the the hand, Nabi could end the nine-year trophy drought at Chiefs should he defeat Pirates in the Nedbank final. The match will kick off at 15:30 in Durban.
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