Busy schedule delights Riveiro as Bucs tune up

Viewing it as a chance to “mature”, Orlando Pirates tactician Jose Riveiro appears to like the fact that they’ve already played three competitive games while the majority of PSL teams haven’t played even a single official match this season.

“It’s a strange season right now. We’ve played three finals already (referring to the knockout games they’ve played so far) and the league hasn’t even started and football hasn’t started for most of PSL teams,” Riveiro said.

“It [playing competitive games before the start of the league] is an opportunity for us to get more mature. We can’t hide right now in this moment of the season... nobody can hide because every football fan’s eyes are on us because nobody else is playing, so I guess if you want to see football right now in SA, it’s been about Pirates.”

In what was their third game of the season, Pirates thumped Malagasy side Disciples 4-0 in the second leg of the CAF Champions League first preliminary round at Orlando Stadium on Friday. The first leg ended goalless in Mauritius.

While most teams will open their season campaigns on the weekend of September 14-15, as the Premiership kicks off, Pirates are back in action tomorrow when they travel to Cape Town City for the first leg of the MTN8 semifinals at Cape Town Stadium (7pm). Pirates earned their MTN8 last-four slot by beating SuperSport United 3-1 in their first game of the season earlier this month.

Riveiro has lauded his troops for securing the MTN8 semifinal spot as they aim to win the competition for a third time on the trot. The second leg against City is at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

“The boys are doing a good job. They have managed to get the results, putting us again in the semifinals, where we have the opportunity to play another final, that’s our aim and wish. It’s good to get maturity and that’s for me what we need to capitalise out of these three first games of the season,'” Riveiro said.

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