Jose Riveiro downplays Nedbank Cup record after emphatic Baroka FC win as Orlando Pirates' third straight title beckons - 'I’m not gonna do it by myself'

Orlando Pirates beat Baroka FC 3-1 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday to storm into the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.

Tshegofatso Mabasa struck a hat-trick and it was a result which saw Pirates keep alive hopes of a third successive Nedbank Cup.

Impressively, the Buccaneers coach Jose Riveiro has won 12 straight games in this competition he refuses to take the credit.

“I don’t speak about individuals, so I’m not gonna do it about myself. It’s my team, the team who is winning is Pirates, and the team who is breaking records is not the coach," Riveiro told the media.

“We’re together, we try to do our best to help the team improve our history together. We are on task.”

Baroka interim coach Foster Hlungwani noted where they went wrong.

"It was a tough one, we had a bad start, especially in the first half" Hlungwani told SABC Sport.

"A lot of turnovers, forced errors and the anxiety. We gave them the possession and if you play and if you play a team of Orlando Pirates' calibre you have to be smart.

"But I think it's a lesson learnt, our players have to learn to interpret the rhythm of the game, maybe making two or three touches, running with the ball."

The Buccaneers are bidding for a third straight Nedbank Cup trophy, having won the last two editions.

That has made Riveiro regarded as a Cup specialist after struggling to dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League.

The chase for the Nedbank Cup comes as Pirates have also won three straight MTN8 titles.

Beaming with confidence following Saturday's win, Pirates would like to build on it when they face Golden SArrows in a Premier Soccer League match at Mpumalanga Stadium on Wednesday.

Having two games in hand, the Buccaneers are keen on closing the gap on Mamelodi Sundowns who lead them by nine points.