Congested schedule? Jose Riveiro refuses to blame the tight calendar after falling to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup final - 'There’s nothing we can do'

After failing to defend the Nedbank Cup against Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has refused to blame a congested calendar for their downfall.

Pirates' dream of winning the cup one more time fell short after they were defeated by their Sowetan traditional rivals in Durban on Saturday.

While offering his assessment of the match, Riveiro said he would not blame many games that his players have engaged in after the defeat.

“There is no way I can measure the impact of the schedule. It’s a subjective reflection. If we go to the data, probably I can give you a bit of an explanation," Riveiro said, as per iDiski Times.

“But after losing the final, if I tell you now what you’re looking for that I’m going to tell you, and it’s not going to happen, then you know you will try to paint a different picture.

“We are at the end of the season; we are in May; we are playing the last games of the season—us, Chiefs. There are teams with 40 games; there are teams with 26, but there’s nothing we can do," he added.

“Like I said already, many, many times in the season, we have a lot of games in our legs. We’ve been doing very well in every competition. We are very lucky to play tonight (on Saturday). Today I think is our game number 44 or somewhere there.”

Pirates have played the least number of league games in the league - 23 - and these matches accumulated as they challenged for titles in various competitions.

It has been a hectic season for them, given that the Sea Robbers were competitors in the Nedbank Cup, the PSL, and the Caf Champions League.

Whereas other coaches, specifically Mamelodi Sundowns' Miguel Cardoso, have always raised issues over a congested calendar, Riveiro decided to offer a different perspective: that he cannot solely blame their calendar.

Bucs have five games lined up for this month, with their first match being against Golden Arrows on May 13. Then they will face TS Galaxy on May 17, and three days later will entertain SuperSport United.

The Sea Robbers will battle AmaZulu and Magesi FC on May 24 and 28, respectively.