Orlando Pirates squad more special than any other generation – Moloi

Photo Credit - Orlando Pirates Media.

Orlando Pirates legend Teboho Moloi believes the current squad under head coach Jose Riveiro has turned out to be the best compared to the previous ones.

Under Riveiro, who is set to leave at the end of the season, Pirates have managed to win five titles and so far this season they are chasing for the Betway Premiership title, the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Champions League.

In the league, Pirates are second behind Memalodi Sundowns on the 16-team league table, while in Nedbank Cup, they are in the final after beating Marumo Gallants 1-0 in the semi-finals. They will face Kaizer Chiefs, who defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the final on May 10.

Pirates have qualified for the semi-final of the Champions League and will face Pyramids of Egypt with the first leg scheduled for Saturday at FNB Stadium and the return on Friday, April 25, at 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

“I've always said that this [the current team] is a special group and I emphasise that,” Moloi said as quoted by Sowetan. “They're different from our treble [winning] team, different from the double treble [winning] team [between 2010 and 2012], different from the team that reached the Champions League and Confed Cup finals [in 2013 and 2015 respectively, albeit they also reached the Confed Cup final in 2022].

“These are young boys, boys that are still finding their feet but they're bringing in trophies. They are the first generation to have fans singing even after a defeat.”

On Riveiro’s exit, he said: "At Pirates, there are two players that have had farewells, and I see Riveiro being the first coach to have a farewell. When my dad [Chippa Moloi] retired, he was given a farewell and Jomo was also given one when he left to start Jomo Cosmos in 1986... now we have a coach who's unified everyone, every generation is happy about Riveiro.

“You'll never know after the best farewell ever, he might say 'hey, I made a mistake, let me go back to where I belong', so it's very important that we support the team in all remaining games to make sure we give him the best ever farewell.”