Former Orlando Pirates captain Happy Jele has discussed potential candidates to replace the outgoing Jose Riveiro at the club, saying it would have to be someone who will not drop the Spaniard’s and the club’s standards.
The club confirmed last month that Riveiro will leave at the end of the current campaign. Riveiro led the Buccaneers to five domestic cups in his tenure so far and the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League this season and is still in the running for the league title and the defense of the Nedbank Cup.
Jele spoke to iDiski Times writer Lethabo Kganyago in the latest edition of the newspaper where he mentioned Riveiro’s current assistant Mandla Ncikazi, outgoing Wydad Casablanca coach Rulani Mokwena and former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly mentor Pitso Mosimane as some of the names he thinks would be suitable for the job.
“I don’t know which coach Pirates are looking for but obviously they want a similar coach that is going to almost play the style of play, the identity of Orlando Pirates,” Jele told iDiski Times.
“Obviously now there is one coach that is left at Orlando Pirates in coach [Mandla] Ncikazi. Coach Ncikazi, he already understands coach Riveiro’s game model. I can give him a chance.
“There are a lot of South African coaches that are good that are free at the moment. Maybe Coach Pitso [Mosimane] might come or maybe Coach Rulani [Mokwena], he has been at Orlando Pirates and his contract is going to finish at [Wydad] Casablanca.
“So you never know. Or maybe the coach [Riveiro] can refer the team to one of the coaches that will play a similar style of play, maybe coming from Spain. We’ll never know”.
You can read Jele’s full interview with Kganyago in edition 202 when you subscribe to IDiski Times Media WhatsApp Number for FREE.