Riveiro banks on fans to fuel Bucs as they meet Chippa

Orlando Pirates mentor Jose Riveiro expects Chippa United to be highly motivated when the two sides meet in a league tie at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tonight, banking on The Ghost to paint the stadium black and white.

Pirates are heading into this league clash high in morale after drubbing Sekhukhune United 5-0 in the MTN8 quarterfinals at Orlando Stadium over the weekend. The big win over Babina Noko came four days after the rampaging Soweto giants had recorded an emphatic 4-2 win over Royal AM in the league at the same venue in Soweto.

Riveiro has since switched focus to the Chilli Boys, expecting them to be a tough nut to crack. The Spaniard wants the Buccaneers' faithful to come and support the side at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tonight (7.30pm).

"Every away game is difficult, I am sure there's going to be a lot of Buccaneers to support us like they did last season in Port Elizabeth [ Gqeberha]. Difficult game like usual for Pirates... you know we are going to find a team extra motivated to receive Pirates there at home. They [Chippa] are going to play with hunger,'' Riveiro said.

Riveiro implied it may be a daunting task to reproduce the performance they displayed against Sekhukhune when they face Chippa. Even so, the Pirates tactician cautioned his troops not to regress entirely, feeling a glimpse of a performance as good as the one they delivered against Babina Noko will always maximise their chances to win.

"I'm  saying that we must replicate this level [when they thumped Sekhukhune on Saturday] every time, but the key should be that our worst game is not too far from our best game. If we manage that, then we are much closer to win games because our players are good,'' Riveiro stated.

Meanwhile, Pirates will face Stellenbosch, who beat them 1-0 away in their league opener nearly a fortnight ago, in the two-legged MTN8 semifinal. The Premier Soccer League is yet to confirm venues and dates for the Wafa Wafa semifinals after the draw was conducted on Sunday at Peter Mokaba Stadium, where Stellies eliminated SuperSport United.