Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has provided a brief analysis on the gap between the Buccaneers and Sundowns after the Brazilians eliminated both Soweto giants from the title race.
Mamelodi Sundowns' win over Royal AM on Tuesday night took the Rulani's charges s up to 56 points in the eh DStv Premiership, mathematically eliminating both Soweto Giants Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates from the title race.
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Riveiro has explained how Pirates fell behind in their bid for the DStv Premiership title.
"We are so far [behind Sundowns] in terms of our points and one of the reasons, we have to accept, [is] that they are doing an excellent job," the Spaniard told journalists on Wednesday.
"I think they won 19 games, 19 victories already in the league, that's an excellent record and sometimes it happens that someone is winning winning and winning – that's one of the reasons.
"I think we are far, and then we do our own analysis and it's not my role analyse why they are getting those results. I can say I know why we are far. Imagine if I say I don't know, I do know. I'm not going to tell you. There are multiple reasons. There is not only one reason.
"There were periods where we couldn't manage to get the average of points per month or per week that Pirates is supposed to get.
"We had the first part start of the season where we were, without any discussion, the better team in the MTN8, winning the trophy and every game we played but we couldn't maintain the same level of performance in the league.
"In that period, we gave an advantage to our opponents [Sundowns] that we couldn't recover anymore. It's a fact.
"But yes, we know the reasons, and we are working on it but now we are focused on the challenges ahead of us to get that second position badly, with all our strength to finish there because it's the maximum we can achieve this season.
"At the end of the season we can have time to analyse and realise the way that we can reduce that gap."
Pirates will turn their immediate attention to their upcoming league clash against SuperSport United to be played on Saturday at Orlando Stadium.
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