Coach Jose Riveiro has entreated his troops to bridge the gap between their best performances and their worst, adding that Orlando Pirates' 3-2 victory over foes Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend was one of Bucs' best in his tenure.
“This is the best version of Pirates that we all would like to see in each and every game as much time as possible, understanding that we are not perfect. We need to try to make sure that our best version is close to our worst version. This victory will help us to understand what kind of a team we want to be, not just celebrate the three points,” Riveiro said after the game at FNB Stadium.
The Spaniard, who joined the Sea Robbers in July 2022, also chalked up their gutsy derby display to the team's maturity stemming from playing several derbies and finals in the past few months already. It was Riveiro's fifth Soweto derby, having also won all the three finals at the club.
“I would like to say that it [their decent derby display] is part of the evolution of the team to get used to playing these types of games together. I said before the match that we've already played a decent amount of derbies together with this group, this technical staff... we've played a decent amount of finals together as well,” Riveiro said.
Chiefs drew first blood via Ashley du Preez in the sixth minute before Monnapule Saleng restored parity 18 minutes later. Du Preez completed his brace and put Chiefs ahead again in the 44th minute but Thabiso Lebitso's ferocious strike levelled matters two minutes before the hour mark. Saleng would snatch the winning goal eight minutes after the hour mark.
Riveiro feels this was the best derby compared to the previous four he had overseen as Bucs tactician. The win also means Pirates have completed a rare league double over Chiefs. Pirates' next game is against Hungry Lions in the Nedbank Cup round of 16 at home on Saturday.
“In my opinion, this derby was more entertaining than the previous ones. I think it was a proper derby. I think the previous ones, at least in the league, were much more... I don't want to say boring but I think today we had the opportunity to see much more football, much more different momentums in the game from both teams,” Riveiro stated.
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Image: Sydney Seshibedi/ /GALLO IMAGES
Coach Jose Riveiro has entreated his troops to bridge the gap between their best performances and their worst, adding that Orlando Pirates' 3-2 victory over foes Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend was one of Bucs' best in his tenure.
“This is the best version of Pirates that we all would like to see in each and every game as much time as possible, understanding that we are not perfect. We need to try to make sure that our best version is close to our worst version. This victory will help us to understand what kind of a team we want to be, not just celebrate the three points,” Riveiro said after the game at FNB Stadium.
The Spaniard, who joined the Sea Robbers in July 2022, also chalked up their gutsy derby display to the team's maturity stemming from playing several derbies and finals in the past few months already. It was Riveiro's fifth Soweto derby, having also won all the three finals at the club.
“I would like to say that it [their decent derby display] is part of the evolution of the team to get used to playing these types of games together. I said before the match that we've already played a decent amount of derbies together with this group, this technical staff... we've played a decent amount of finals together as well,” Riveiro said.
Chiefs drew first blood via Ashley du Preez in the sixth minute before Monnapule Saleng restored parity 18 minutes later. Du Preez completed his brace and put Chiefs ahead again in the 44th minute but Thabiso Lebitso's ferocious strike levelled matters two minutes before the hour mark. Saleng would snatch the winning goal eight minutes after the hour mark.
Riveiro feels this was the best derby compared to the previous four he had overseen as Bucs tactician. The win also means Pirates have completed a rare league double over Chiefs. Pirates' next game is against Hungry Lions in the Nedbank Cup round of 16 at home on Saturday.
“In my opinion, this derby was more entertaining than the previous ones. I think it was a proper derby. I think the previous ones, at least in the league, were much more... I don't want to say boring but I think today we had the opportunity to see much more football, much more different momentums in the game from both teams,” Riveiro stated.
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