Jose Riveiro is realistic enough to admit that there is no way of putting out a “super team” against Stellensbosch FC in Saturday’s Carling Black Label Cup All Stars clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Chosen by the fans to lead the Carling All-Star team, the Orlando Pirates coach knows he is up against it in a quest to win the trophy against a polished Stellies outfit that he has already lost to this season. After all, what can a coach do in just two sessions with a group of players from different teams?
“Of course, it is not possible to make a team in two days. That’s not the intention,” the Spaniard said at the match venue following his first session with his squad on Thursday.
“The intention is to make sure that we have the right motivation and the will to do things. It is not going to be about how good we are tactically because you can’t be a super good team in two days.”
Riveiro aiming to repay faith of the fans
Do not, however, misconstrue that to mean that Riveiro is hopeless going into the match. Far from it, for he is delighted to have been chosen by the fans to lead a team the local football followers believe is the best of the lot of the rest of the 15 teams in the elite league as well as some players from the Diski Challenge.
“I am glad, happy and thankful for the love that they showed us with these votes, and it is also due to the club that I am representing (that they chose me). I am happy to be here and at the same time full of responsibility to make sure that we must do a good job.”
He was pleased with what he had seen from his team during their first session too.
“I liked the positive-ness (sic), the good mood and the talent as well as the good disposition of the players to use the time properly because we don’t have enough time. We will work on a game plan to be competitive against the good team that we are going to face on Saturday. But we have the motivation to fight for a trophy within the 90 minutes.”
Because the entire squad, including himself, has been chosen by the fans, Riveiro knows they have that much more responsibility to the country’s football followers.
Play entertaining football
“We promise the fans we will give them a good show and do our best. The players can show their best and play entertaining football that is offensive and hopefully we can deliver many goals.”
That Pirates lost 3-2 to Stellies in their final match is not going to be a factor to motivate Riverio to want to put one over the Cape Winelands outfit. He is way too professional and knows he is in charge of a completely different team.
He is, however, a competitive man and putting one over Steve Barker would definitely be something he cherishes. And the lure of yet another winners’ medal on South African soil should no doubt have lit a fire in the young Spaniard’s belly.
And, as goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune said, this is an opportunity for many of the players in the All-Star team to win their maiden silverware, and the fact they would only have had a couple of training session is not going to matter.