Former Al Ahly assistant coach Cavin Johnson believes Jose Riveiro’s brief tenure at the Egyptian club was doomed from the start due to his lack of understanding of African football.
The former Orlando Pirates head coach, Riveiro, was officially dismissed from his duties after having managed just four official matches in the new season at the African giants.
In that short period, Riveiro managed only one win, two draws, and a 2-0 defeat to Pyramids FC in the league last Saturday, which was his final match in charge.
Riveiro’s move to Al Ahly followed a successful three-season stint at Pirates, where he won five trophies and led the Soweto giants to their first CAF Champions League semi-final in over a decade. He left the Buccaneers with three league games remaining last campaign to prepare for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where Al Ahly were knocked out in the group stages.
JOHNSON SAYS LACK OF AFRICAN EXPERIENCE WAS RIVEIRO’S DOWNFALL
According to Johnson, Riveiro’s biggest mistake was failing to fully grasp the unique and demanding environment of a club like Al Ahly.
Johnson also believes that Riveiro’s struggles stemmed from his inexperience with the African game, having spent his entire coaching career in Europe before joining Pirates in 2022. Johnson suggests Riveiro may not have fully grasped the immense pressure and expectations that come with managing a club as massive as Al Ahly.
“In all respects to Jose Riverio, I don’t know if he worked at any other African club when he started at Pirates, because all those things play a role. Suppose you look at the fact that Ahly is the club of the century. That comes with a lot of pressure by itself,” said Johnson in an interview with FARPost.
“I always ask myself, did Jose Riveiro look at that before he left Pirates? Does he really understand the African game? When you have to play in the CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup and all the local teams and the World Cup, do you understand the magnitude?”
Johnson was roped in by Pitso Mosimane in the 2021/22 season, serving as assistant coach for a full season at Al Ahly.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach also stated that, despite the difficulty in pinpointing why and how Riveiro was dismissed, he still believes the Spaniard should have known better and taken the time to study the African game, particularly the intense pressure and unique demands of a club like Al Ahly.
CAVIN JOHNSON ON WHAT RIVEIRO SHOULD HAVE DONE
“Probably Pitso Mosimane, in all his accolades, he got there knowing the African continent. He knew all the teams because he was in that space while he was at Mamelodi Sundowns,” added Johnson. “Yes, I was also in the space myself, but not as much as Sundowns was, because you must remember that the first team that beat Al Ahly in South Africa was Platinum Stars.”
Johnso also explained: “You have to study the African game, because a lot of the foreign guys don’t study the African game. Sorry to say this, they don’t study the African game. That is why some of us feel neglected.
“When you think of the African game, it’s just not fair the way they treat us. Be that as it may, we have a long way to go.
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