Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is confident his side won't show any rustiness when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday in an MTN 8 first leg semi-final match at Orlando Stadium (3.30pm).
Bucs last took to the field on September 10 when they defeated TS Galaxy 2-0 in the DStv Premiership. In the following week, they were given a bye while Sundowns got minutes under their legs in a testing game with AmaZulu.
The international break then hit, meaning more time on the sidelines for Pirates. By the time Riveiro's side returns to action, they would have got to spend three weeks without any competitive matches.
Riveiro is confident they have found a balance during the lull and they should be ready for the clash with the defending Top 8 champions.
“We had a short and well-deserved rest for the boys. We used the time properly. We are still very hungry for the future and we are going to face the game in a very good condition," said Riveiro.
“[The break] it’s not bad and it’s not good. It is what it is, we had to adapt ourselves to the schedules. Ours was terrible in terms of games and trips. September was a bit normal and we had this break until the end of the month.
"We didn’t stop so much, it was a good time to do a deep analysis about what we were doing in the competition and get a conclusion to make sure we know where we are in our process. This is a long-term process that we started.
“There were a lot of things to analyse and try to implement for these weeks. For me as a coach, I’m glad we have time to train, for a team like us that trusts in the training process. We had the chance to enjoy these full weeks before we face our opponent. It’s something very positive for us," said the Spanish coach.
'Inaction won't affect Bucs against Downs'
Jose leads side to Top8 semis after long break
Image: Antonio Muchave
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is confident his side won't show any rustiness when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday in an MTN 8 first leg semi-final match at Orlando Stadium (3.30pm).
Bucs last took to the field on September 10 when they defeated TS Galaxy 2-0 in the DStv Premiership. In the following week, they were given a bye while Sundowns got minutes under their legs in a testing game with AmaZulu.
The international break then hit, meaning more time on the sidelines for Pirates. By the time Riveiro's side returns to action, they would have got to spend three weeks without any competitive matches.
Riveiro is confident they have found a balance during the lull and they should be ready for the clash with the defending Top 8 champions.
“We had a short and well-deserved rest for the boys. We used the time properly. We are still very hungry for the future and we are going to face the game in a very good condition," said Riveiro.
“[The break] it’s not bad and it’s not good. It is what it is, we had to adapt ourselves to the schedules. Ours was terrible in terms of games and trips. September was a bit normal and we had this break until the end of the month.
"We didn’t stop so much, it was a good time to do a deep analysis about what we were doing in the competition and get a conclusion to make sure we know where we are in our process. This is a long-term process that we started.
“There were a lot of things to analyse and try to implement for these weeks. For me as a coach, I’m glad we have time to train, for a team like us that trusts in the training process. We had the chance to enjoy these full weeks before we face our opponent. It’s something very positive for us," said the Spanish coach.
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