Jose Riveiro sees a PSL power shift as Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs close the gap

Former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has offered a sweeping assessment of the Betway Premiership landscape, saying the 2025/26 season has opened up in ways he had long hoped to see during his time in South Africa.

Speaking at a Carling Knockout Cup event on Wednesday, the Spanish tactician reflected on the shifts, surprises and emerging contenders he has observed since leaving the country late last season.

Riveiro’s abrupt departure from the Buccaneers — with just four league matches remaining and the team sitting second — stunned many inside the camp. That exit took him to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, but his spell in Cairo lasted only three months after a poor run of results.

Now unattached, the 50-year-old has returned to South Africa in his capacity as a Carling Knockout Cup ambassador, and it is clear he has remained plugged into the local game.

The three-time MTN8 champion believes this season is shaping up to be the most competitive in years, particularly because the usual dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns is being challenged from several directions.

“There are more teams performing well. Recently, it was difficult for everybody to follow the rhythm that Sundowns was putting in the league. This season it seems to be slightly different,” he said.

Pirates, despite stumbling early, have re-established themselves as one of the league’s strongest outfits. Seven wins in their last 10 matches have lifted them to second place, with 22 points collected over that stretch.

Riveiro was full of praise for the form and consistency his former side has shown.

“There are different sides trying to take the opportunity. I think Pirates is one of the cases with their strong performances and their consistency in recent times,” he said.

He added: “Fantastic, progressing week after week. I think they are definitely in the right way.”

But the former Buccaneers coach is just as intrigued by developments elsewhere — starting with Kaizer Chiefs, who have shown measurable improvement under Nasreddine Nabi.

Compared to the same stage last season, Amakhosi have five more points after 11 matches, a clear sign of the stability they have lacked for years.

Riveiro acknowledged the stronger foundation but noted that the early-season shock has emerged from an unexpected contender.

“Chiefs are doing better than last season, and I think we were all a little bit surprised as well with the performance of Sekhukhune in the first months of the competition,” he said.

For him, this heightened competitiveness is only the start.

With a 30-match campaign ahead, Riveiro believes the real drama traditionally begins during the run-in after the festive break.

“I think it will come to the second part of the season, after Christmas, that it is going to be exciting, so I am looking forward to that,” he said.

The league table will shift again — but for the first time in years, Riveiro believes there are enough contenders to make the title race genuinely unpredictable.