Orlando Pirates' own Rushwin Dortley! Jose Riveiro ready to give more youngsters their chance to play for first team after Mbekezeli Mbokazi promotion - 'Age is not going to be a problem if they are ready'

Since his confirmation as Orlando Pirates coach, Jose Riveiro has always given deserving players a chance to feature for the club.

Thabiso Sesane, Mohau Nkota and Relebohile Mofokeng are some of the Bucs' Academy graduates who have made a massive impact on the senior team.

Coach Riveiro insists age is not a factor to him but he focuses on what they bring to the team with Mbekezeli Mbokazi being the latest youngster to be offered a first-team contract.

“From the club perspective, the key, like any other in the world is recruitment, have a good scouting structure in order to have the capacity to accumulate talent in your development, and then from my point, I don’t see players as youngsters,” he opened up to the media.

“I don’t see youngsters or experienced players; they are good, or they are not good enough. They are ready or they are not ready. It’s convenient or not convenient for the game, it’s not about when he was born, or whether he is 20, 19, or 22; it doesn’t make a big difference.

“When the player is ready, he is ready, when the player is talented, he is talented, and that’s the system itself, you play them, or you don’t play them. It’s simple, and people usually talk about taking the risk of playing a young player," Riveiro continued.

"For me, the risk is when you play a player who is not ready, whether he is 30 or 20, in our case, the boys are showing they are ready and they are capable of surviving in different environments so far. We are happy and we are glad and clearly inspiring more youngsters in our structures to be ready because age is not going to be a problem if they are ready.”

Mofokeng and Nkota played a crucial role in helping Pirates beat CR Belouizdad in Group C of the Caf Champions League fixture played in Algeria on Tuesday night.

The former provided two assists which the latter converted to help the South Africans win 2-1 - with Bafana Bafana international Khanyisa Mayo scoring for the hosts.

Sesane was also solid at the heart of the defence alongside Nkosinathi Sibisi.

Furthermore, Pirates reserve team coach Joseph Makhanya, who nurtured Nkota and Mofokeng, recently confirmed Mbokazi is set to be promoted to the club's first team.

The 19-year-old is a left-footed centre back in the mould of Kaizer Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley and he was one of South Africa's key players as they clinched the 2024 Cosafa Under-20 championship in Mozambique in October.

On Sunday, the Soweto giants host Stellenbosch in the Premier Soccer League in a repeat of the MTN8 final.

Steve Barker's outfit - who fell 2-0 against Stade Malien on Wednesday in the Caf Confederation Cup, will be aiming at avenging the loss.

Pirates are unbeaten in the Premier Soccer League this season and will be aiming at extending the run this weekend.

It will be a morale-boosting win ahead of the Caf Champions League outing against the defending champions Percy Tau's Al Ahly on Saturday, November 7.