Will Jose Riveiro raid Orlando Pirates players with Monnapule Saleng and Mbekezeli Mbokazi being headline targets? New Al Ahly coach answers

Jose Riveiro was last week appointed as Al Ahly's coach after recently leaving Orlando Pirates.

Rumours have been swelling that the Spaniard might raid the Buccaneers for some players as he seeks to build a competitive Al Ahly team.

The 49-year-old has come out to respond to the reports after spending three seasons up close and personal with some players.

“I have not requested the inclusion of any player from Orlando Pirates to Al Ahly out of respect for them, as I respect the club,” said Riveiro told as per iDiski Times.

“At the moment, I do not want to rush into looking for new deals. Rather, I am focusing on preparing for the Club World Cup, after which we will accurately determine our needs.”

Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng has been linked with Al Ahly even before Riveiro became their coach.

He was touted as a replacement for Percy Tau under Marcel Koller, but it seems tricky for him to sign for Pirates when Riveiro was sidelining him last season.

Also, defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi has been linked with the Cairo giants and this is a player who had the trust of Riveiro in his first season of professional football.

Riveiro has already started work at Al Ahly and his first match would be a friendly match against Mexican side Pachuca on Sunday.

After that, the Egyptian giants head to the Fifa Club World Cup where they will face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Palmeiras and FC Porto in their group.