Record-breaking Orlando Pirates players gutted with international break - 'They want to keep going!' Riveiro not sure about the pause

Orlando Pirates have been ticking all the right boxes in South African football this season.

They are proving to be a force to reckon with owing to their consistency across all competitions.

Pirates have won seven consecutive Premier Soccer League matches for the first time in the club's history. They are on top of the table with 21 points, three more than the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns who have three points less.

The Soweto Giants became the first team in Mzansi history to win three MTN8 titles in a row.

Despite missing out in the Carling Knockout where they fell in the first hurdle against Magesi, Bucs are in the Caf Champions League group stage after their second preliminary round exit in the previous edition.

However, their current run will be halted for two weeks owing to the international break. Coach Jose Riveiro explains how the players are feeling about it.

"One of the keys to succeed in modern football is planning, we have an opportunity now to utilise this time to rest, at least some of our players, refine some other players, team dynamics, behavioural patterns," he told the media.

"There’s more time to look at small details than when you’re competing every two or three days because you don’t have the time and opportunity to do it. So I’m always taking everything positive for us.

"If there’s a break it’s going to be positive for sure. Because we going to use the time to come back better, obviously when you’re winning every two-three days, you don’t want to stop, I’m not going to lie, you want to keep going, especially the players when they having fun and with results, you want to continue," Riveiro continued.

"But now with many of them, they have many other commitments with national teams,t they will continue competing and the others will continue to prepare for what’s coming [with Pirates] in a tight schedule in November, December, January, February it’s something else, the next Fifa break is in March.

"Once we start again after this one, we don’t stop anymore so it will be an important part of our preparation in the upcoming months."

Riveiro's first task after the international break will be a Caf Champions League outing against Algerian side CR Belouizdad.

Then Pirates will embark on the PSL race hoping to sustain their momentum in their bid to end a decade-long title drought.