Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has expressed his delight that his side came out unscathed from their Nedbank Cup match against Richards Bay on Sunday.
Pirates secured a 3-1 win, thanks to Patrick Maswanganyi’s first half brace and Tshegofatso Mabasa’s late goal, to seal a place in the Round of 16 as they look to win the cup for a third season running.
However, with the Soweto derby on the horizon, Riveiro is delighted that there were no injuries to his key players, having fielded a strong squad with only goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi and defender Tapelo Xoki the non-regulars who were in the starting XI.
Riveiro happy to avoid injuries
“Difficult to control the game in these circumstances and I am sorry for the players to have to play in these conditions but it is what it is. The best thing you [can] get here is the result, no injuries and we got both, so, happiness,” Riveiro told SABC.
“I did not have my best second half as a coach, I should have done some different things so as not to suffer so much. In some periods, I was slow in some moments but I think the guys fought until the end for the result and for the fact that we can be in the quarter-final and a lot of positive things.”
The Spanish tactician says the game was also an opportunity to test the levels of preparedness of some of his fringe players ahead of the Soweto derby which will take place on Saturday February 1.
How will Pirates approach the derby?
Innocent Maela, Bandile Shandu and Siyabonga Ndlozi were the fringe players who featured from the bench and Riveiro was happy with what he saw.
“We try to go game by game, obviously in your planning you try to use the moments of the players to know when a player can get 20 or 30 minutes if he is coming from an injury,” he added.
“We respected the fixture and fought for the result from the first moment and now it is to celebrate a little in the locker room and prepare for the derby.”
