Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro is hoping to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League. Photo: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has expressed his team's willingness to face Mamelodi Sundowns when the CAF Champions League draw occurs on Thursday.
The Buccaneers have been embroiled in a fierce rivalry with Sundowns, characterised by intense league encounters, and there lies the possibility of the two clubs crossing paths in the upcoming draw.
Riveiro's Pirates concluded the group stage brilliantly, finishing top of Group C, securing a four-point lead over Egyptian giants Al Ahly. This impressive performance has earned them a spot among the seeded teams for the draw.
Meanwhile, the Brazilians missed out on the top spot to Moroccan outfit AS Far Rabat and could potentially face the Sea Robbers in the tournament's quarter-finals.
The Pirates mentor believes that a face-off against Sundowns in the next round would present an exciting challenge. He noted that avoiding the complexities of international travel could work to the advantage of both teams, considering their familiarity with each other, especially with a league match slated for the 15th.
“It’s one of the three that we can get in that draw; if it’s Sundowns, it’s good that we don’t have to travel that far, so it can be good in terms of planning for both teams because we know each other well,” Riveiro stated.
“We do have conversations amongst ourselves within the technical staff on which team would be better for us to face, basically for the way we play football more than anything else. But if it is Sundowns, it will be a big clash for the country, and it will attract a lot of attention, but hopefully not now, but a little bit later in the competition.”
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In their last 16 clash, Pirates comfortably defeated Baroka FC at the Orlando Stadium, maintaining their dreams of defending their title with a convincing 3-1 victory. This win provided Riveiro an opportunity to give some fringe players a few minutes as his side had a 3-0 cushion to work with.
With vital fixtures on the horizon, the 49-year-old coach faces a challenging period, especially with key players like Sipho Chaine and Kabelo Dlamini hovering on the brink of suspension. When asked about players nearing suspension due to accumulating yellow cards, Riveiro maintained that his focus remains on the present and planning strategically for what lies ahead.
“The key is to be disciplined and try to avoid situations where you get unnecessary bookings. Personally, I do not like to speculate about saving players for the next game because it's more important due to them being on three yellow cards,” he explained.
“If we didn’t do the job today (against Baroka), we wouldn’t be having another game in this competition. We are now going to play against Golden Arrows and I think that we can all agree that we must play for those three points.
“We must do everything to get those points if we want to continue having the option to fight for the league.”
Riveiro poignantly highlighted, “We don’t have the luxury of leading the log by 15 points to have an option to choose who gets to play and not. We have to play every game as a final and make sure we choose the right players.”
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