Two weeks after departing from South Africa's Orlando Pirates, José Riveiro was officially announced as the new head coach of Egypt's Al Ahly via social media on Thursday, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup (June 14 - July 13).

Riveiro will face an immediate challenge at the Club World Cup in the USA, with Al Ahly placed in Group A alongside Inter Miami, Palmeiras, and FC Porto.

A top-two finish is required to advance to the knockout stages of this 32-team tournament. Other African teams participating include Sundowns, Wydad, and Espérance de Tunis.

As Africa's most successful club, Al Ahly recently secured their 45th Egyptian Premier League title and boasts 12 CAF Champions League victories, four of which occurred since the 2019-20 season. This marks one of only two seasons in that period where another team claimed the trophy.

Al Ahly was eliminated on away goals in the semi-finals by South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, who also clinched an eighth consecutive Betway Premiership title ahead of Pirates. Sundowns will compete against Pyramids FC in a two-legged final, potentially ending Ahly's dominance in Africa since 2019-20, aside from Wydad Casablanca.

Riveiro's predecessor, Marcel Koller, was dismissed after the close loss to Sundowns, reflecting the high expectations at Al Ahly. Emad El-Nahhas served as interim coach and led the team to a third straight Premier League title.

Riveiro joins on a reported two-year contract, following a successful tenure at Pirates where he won three MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cups. Pirates also reached the CAF Champions League semi-finals, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids.

The Spanish coach arrived at Pirates in 2022 as a relatively unknown figure to fans, despite his prior role at Finland's Inter Turku. Over 132 matches, he recorded 80 wins, 26 draws, and 26 losses.

Most notably, Riveiro ensured Sundowns faced strong competition despite their significant investments.

He officially departed after a 3-0 victory over Golden Arrows and expressed gratitude to Pirates' management for their support during his three-year stint.

In his media statement, he said: "I will never coach any other team in SA. I am a Buccaneer and Orlando Pirates is the only club I could have the motivation, courage, energy, and heart to coach in SA."