Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is anticipating a tough outing on Saturday against Pyramids in the first leg of the Caf Champions League semi-final to be played at the FNB Stadium.
The Soweto giants beat MC Alger to get their ticket, while the Egyptian side had to get past FAR Rabat in the quarter-final. The Buccaneers are the only team that has not suffered defeat in the ongoing edition and are now among the favourites to go all the way.
Ahead of this weekend's game, the Spaniard has revealed what he has done to ensure the players deliver even against a tough opponent.
‘Opponent has a different capacity and tactic'
“All these games are difficult to approach due to the level of the opponent, first of all. Because of the different types of environments that you find. I think I said this, after my first game in Algeria in the group stage [against CR Belouizdad], there is no time to breathe when you are on the bench, you have to help the players tactically, and lots of things are happening every minute of the game,” Riveiro told the media.
“That tells you about the rhythm, and that is different between the league and the amount of time you have to think, executing one action is different in the domestic league and the Champions League.
“Because the opponent has different capacities tactically, technically, and I think Orlando Pirates so far managed to be at that level and compete very well in that space.”
Pirates urged to have the confidence to tackle Pyramids
“On Saturday, we are going to do anything that we didn’t try before, or we don’t know we can do already,” Riveiro added.
“Because, like I said, the most important thing in sport, in competitions, is to have confidence and not only the quality, not only the preparation. It is about you believing that you can do it again, and we have proved to ourselves, not to others in this competition, that we are capable of doing it.
“[This weekend] it is going to be another repeat,” he concluded.
