Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Kamwendo has voiced his reservations with the Soweto club’s decision to appoint José Riveiro as new coach.
Kamwendo, who played under coaches such as Ruud Krol at Pirates, said while the new Spaniard mentor might be qualified, his lack of knowledge of the club’s culture could prove to be his biggest undoing.
“Looking at how Pirates performed last season, there was a need for a change on the technical side, but bringing the new coach won’t change anything. Why? The guy doesn’t understand African football. He doesn’t have a profile for such a big job for Pirates,” the Malawian international tells FARPost.
The former Vasco Da Gama playmaker said the Soweto giants needed a tactician who could hit the ground running.
“This coach is not going to change anything. Why? He doesn’t understand the club’s philosophy or culture, so it will take time for him to adapt as a coach. It will also take time for the players to understand him and his philosophy,” he said.
The former TP Mazembe midfielder said Pirates should have gone for a coach who understands South African football, adding that Riveiro “is a good coach but not for a big team like Pirates.”
Pirates unveiled Riveiro on Saturday, and it soon emerged that his only worthwhile head coach job was with a Finnish team.
The 46-year-old spent much of his career coaching youth teams in Portugal.
He has a big task of revamping the side that has failed to translate its potential into silverware.
The Soweto giants lost in the Confederation Cup final to RB Berkane from Morocco on post-match penalties to finish last season virtually empty-handed.
