Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has praised Kermit Erasmus ahead of the upcoming Soweto Derby.
Riveiro will face Kaizer Chiefs for the first time since he got appointed as the head coach of Pirates, with the Premier Soccer League confirming the game has been sold out.
The Spaniard shared some thoughts about the in-form Erasmus, who has hit the ground running at Pirates, scoring once and assisting on three occasions.
Riveiro praised his striker, saying he does well in the games and in training, but insisted the collective is more important than the individual.
“With his position is like in every other position, in every other department, but again, probably we always saw the players who are playing close to the goal or they play the last pass to the net as well usually attract much more attention,” Riveiro told the media.
“Me as a fan also, sometimes when I’m watching one game, Erasmus is us doing what we’re supposed to do. He is a player with experience, is a player with quality and as I said before about Saleng it’s much easier for them to play and shine when you have good players around and this is one case.
“At this moment, he’s doing a good contribution, not only in the competition, but also in the training process, and it’s increasing the competition inside the squad.
“That’s why we have an interesting number of players in the squad and a huge quantity of talent, especially in the positions close to the goal. That creates good competition inside the squad, and we will all get the benefit from that. Not as an individual, but as a team, that’s the most important thing.”
This is Erasmus’ second stint at Pirates after leaving the club in 2016 to join French League 1 side Stade Rennes. He has featured in eight Soweto derbies so far, scoring once.
