Johannesburg — Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says they’ve thoroughly prepared for their Nedbank Cup last-16 tie against Venda Football Academy as they do not want to be caught off guard.
After a relatively lukewarm season, Pirates are hitting all the right notes towards the end. The MTN8 champions are on course to finish in the top three in the Premiership and win a domestic double via the Nedbank Cup.
And while coach Riveiro has conceded that finishing in the top two and qualifying for the Caf Champions League is their ultimate mandate, they’ll not neglect their winning duties in the country’s premier club knockout competition.
After all, winning the Nedbank Cup doesn’t only guarantee silverware and a whooping R7-million cheque, but entrance to the Confederation Cup — a back-up plan that Pirates could use if things don’t go their way in the league.
In their search for the final berth in the competition, they have a Motsepe Foundation Championship side, in the form of VFA, that’s standing in the way in the last 16.
On another day, they’d be guaranteed passage to the Nedbank Cup quarter-final without breaking a sweat due to the gulf in the quality of players and statuses between the two teams.
But having had the competition live up to its ‘David v Goliath’ mantra – and especially after amateur side Dondol Stars beat two top-flight teams en route to the last eight – Pirates are not leaving anything to chance.
So much so that their team of analysts, headed by Rayaan Jacobs, have been hard at work attending VFA live matches to get as much intel on the club as possible.
“Our coaching staff had the opportunity to watch a couple of games live. Nowadays, if you don’t get info on your opponents that means that you are not doing your job,” Riveiro said.
“But that's not us. We try to know as much as possible about the opponent because it’s our responsibility, so it doesn’t matter which division they are playing.”
Pirates know all about the complications of playing against the lower division teams as they faced All Stars in the first round of the Nedbank Cup.
And despite winning the tie 2-0 — thanks to Thembinkosi Lorch and Monnapule Saleng’s goals — Pirates ended the match with a technical team member short after Riveiro was shown red.
So with the tempers having flown, resulting in the frustration of Riveiro who was caught in an altercation with an official, Riveiro wants to take care of every detail heading in to Saturday’s clash.
“We did our jobs to try and know as much as possible about the opponent. We are taking the game seriously and we really want to be in the next round,” Riveiro said.
“We are going to take care of every detail as we used to do because we are going to face (a tough opponent). These games are complicated even if the team comes from the first division.”
A win for the Sea Robbers would keep alive their chances of competing for the domestic double with Sundowns, who are on course to win the DStv Premiership title.
IOL Sport