Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela has suggested Jose Riveiro has brought something different to the squad since his appointment that’s helped them mentally.
Pirates are preparing for their MTN8 final against AmaZulu at the back of a 1-0 defeat against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby last Saturday.
It was a result that epitomised their season thus far on inconsistent results, having beaten Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 the week prior to get to the domestic cup final.
But Maela says it’s not something that gets into their heads as they understand now there’s a bigger picture and goal – with the Spaniard still laying down the foundations of his project.
“One of the most important things he’s taught us is not to dwell on the result but to focus on the process, so we know as players we have a long-term goal and what we need to do is a step-by-step process to get to that level,” he said.
“So as since he’s joined us we know even when we play, we focus on the steps, and sometimes we can’t control the results or how the match will go but our main focus is the process and we know to get there.”
Maela has been an ever-present figure on the left side of the Pirates back three and was awarded the captain’s armband since Riveiro’s arrival. He’s revealed that from a personal perspective, there’s notable growth amongst the group of players this season, something that’s been echoed by several players already.
“What has helped to enjoy life, our training sessions, and life in general at the club is the freedom that we have, the tools that are provided for us to perform and play, we know what we need to do at training, clearly, we know how to prepare for matches clearly and we know what we need to do in matches in order for us to prevail,” Maela continued.
“So we’ve now gone into matches not only with our talents, but we know we have a clear game plan to follow, so that’s helped us a lot and provided us with even more tactics to perform better – so yeah, there’s a lot that he’s instilled in us, not only about football but also about life in general, we’re learning every day and enjoying it with him.”
