Orlando Pirates News - Riveiro Plays Down Title Chances as Hattrick Hero Hails Haaland

The coach said: “We must have short-term goals. People have a right to speak about who is going to win the league, but we are not thinking about that in this particular moment.

“We are thinking about this weekend’s match against Magesi and how many points we can collect in January to continue with our objectives in the league and the Champions League. 

“We try not be distracted with what is going to happen in four or five months because you can forget what it takes to achieve your objectives at the end of the season.”

Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa spoke of his admiration of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. The comments came on the back of netting a hattrick in Tuesday’s 8-1 mauling of Marumo Gallants. 

Mabasa told the media: “It’s a sense of relief, I mean the last time I scored in the league was in the first league game of the season against Chippa United. Scoring three goals shows the amount of support that I’ve been getting from the rest of the team.

“The technical team have shown faith in me, and they haven’t doubted me. In terms of motivation, like I said every striker in the world of football wants to score goals and that’s what keeps me going. 

“I continuously watch football, I want to improve my game, watching the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. They are world-famous strikers and how they do things motivate me to keep pushing and do more.”

One player who got a rare outing against Marumo Gallants was striker Boitumelo Radiopane. He has struggled for minutes in the face of competition from Tshegofatso Mabasa and Evidence Makgopa. 

Pirates’ coach Jose Riveiro openly discussed the 22-year-old’s battle for minutes after he scored his first senior Bucs goal on Christmas Eve from the penalty spot. 

Riveiro said: “The competition in the team for players like Radiopane, for example, is terrible. I mean he’s competing with a Bafana Bafana striker and with last season’s top goal scorer in Tshegofatso Mabasa.

“And it’s difficult to get minutes in a team that plays with one number nine, but the way that he’s working every day, the dedication, the professionalism, everyone was happy to see Radiopane on the field having the opportunity to score a goal to get confident because we need everybody.”