‘It was quite boring to be honest’: Pirates coach Riveiro on Soweto derby
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has described his first Soweto derby as a “boring game” that should have ended in a stalemate.
Pirates suffered a 1-0 DStv Premiership defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs, thanks to the “beautiful goal” scored from inside his own half by Yusuf Maart in the second half at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
The game looked set for a goalless stalemate but Pirates’ goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane, who made some excellent saves, was beaten after he had been spotted by Maart well off his line in the 74th minute.
“From my point of view it was a bad game, a 0-0 game, a very slow game,” Riveiro said.
“The opening of the game was played in a rhythm that we didn’t expect it to be played, and also from our opponents. I think it was quite boring to be honest.
“We didn’t manage to be vertical. Chiefs gave us the space to play outside and defend with numbers in those corridors.
“We were very disconnected in the first half in our build-up from central midfield to the players upfront.
“We couldn’t generate so much football inside, the way we are used to doing it, and create our chances. We only had the chance to go outside and from outside we were not dangerous enough.
“We managed to break possession a few times on the left side, we had more space in the first half on the left side, but we were too naive in our attacks.
“There were actions where they managed to be one-on-one with Mpontshane in the first half.”
Riveiro was impressed with how his team performed in the second half after making changes that saw Kabelo Dlamini and Fortune Makaringe replace an ineffective Zakhele Lepasa and Deon Hotto.
“We changed the formation and that gave us more control, but again we were a bit naive if I think about what we did in the lateral corridors. Chiefs didn’t have too many problems defending our attempts.
“Boring, like I said, 0-0 and in one isolated action they managed to score a beautiful goal and we couldn’t solve it any more. The boys were trying until the end but we couldn’t find the equaliser.”
Pirates meet AmaZulu in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday in the final official domestic game before the two-month Fifa break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.