Riveiro sees a PSL power shift as Pirates and Chiefs close the gap

FORMER Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has offered a sweeping assessment of the Betway Premiership landscape, saying the 2025/26 season has opened up in ways he had long hoped to see during his time in South Africa.

- SMISO MSOMI

Speaking at a Carling Knockout Cup event on Wednesday, the Spanish tactician reflected on the shifts, surprises and emerging contenders he has observed since leaving the country late last season.

Riveiro's abrupt departure from the Buccaneers with just four league matches remaining and the team sitting second stunned many inside the camp.

That exit took him to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, but his spell in Cairo lasted only three months after a poor run of results.

Now unattached, the 50-year-old has returned to South Africa in his capacity as a Carling Knockout Cup ambassador, and it is clear he has remained plugged into the local game.