Orando Pirates coac Jose Riveiro will, in all probabilty, miss there next match due to a touchline suspenstion.
Image: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro picked up a one-match suspension after referee Luxolo Badi yellow-carded him towards the end of Saturday's match against Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium.
The match was in its final stages when Riveiro engaged with fourth official Akhona Makalima, a Fifa-accredited referee. Riveiro was seemingly unhappy about the time added at the end of regulation time. Makalima did not take kindly to Riveiro's harsh approach and asked Badi to issue him a yellow card. Since Riveiro had already picked up three yellow cards, this caution resulted in a one-match suspension.
He will be in the stands on Saturday when Pirates play their Betway Premiership match against Marumo Gallants at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. This will be the second time Riveiro has been suspended. In February 2023, he was red-carded during a Nedbank Cup match against All Stars and was handed a two-match suspension.
On Saturday, his assistant, Mandla Ncikazi, will step in on an interim basis for the encounter in Bloemfontein.
Riveiro would have served the suspension on Tuesday evening when Pirates were scheduled to play Royal AM, but the match has been postponed.
The break from official duties in Bloemfontein may be a welcome relief for Riveiro, who came under fire from Pirates' fans last Saturday at Orlando Stadium. Around the hour mark, when Pirates were trailing 1-0 against City, Riveiro replaced fan-favorite Makhehleni Makhaula with Goodman Mosele, who has hardly played this season.
Fans greeted the change with boos that rang out around the stadium. However, the substitution proved to be an inspired decision, as Mosele scored the winning goal three minutes before the final whistle.
Riveiro explained the reasoning behind his changes, which ultimately had the desired effect.
"We needed a different type of midfielder at that moment in the game," said Riveiro. "There was a situation where we tried to gain an advantage with our midfielders because of the way they were defending on one of the sides.
"That’s why Mosele came in — because he has a different profile. I think Makhaula did a good job in the first 45–60 minutes, and then Mosele came in to complete the job with the winning goal."
Pirates, with three games in hand, are trailing log leaders Sundowns by 12 points. By the time Sundowns finish playing Sekhukhune United on Wednesday, the gap could grow to 15 points, assuming they win as expected.
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