Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has explained why he won’t take Cape Town Spurs lightly when they lock horns in the DStv Premiership clash on Wednesday.
The Buccaneers will welcome the Urban Warriors at Orlando Stadium, with the kick-off scheduled for 19:30.
In the first round of the season, the Cape club pulled a shocker when they defeated Pirates 2-1 at DHL Stadium and registered their first win of the campaign.
Goals from Lubeni Haukongo and Jarrod Moroole were enough to earn Spurs a victory at home. Evidence Makgopa scored the consolation goal for Pirates.
JOSE RIVEIRO ON FACING CAPE TOWN SPURS
Coach Riveiro is well aware of the mammoth task ahead, citing that it won’t be a walk in the park as CT Spurs are fighting for their lives.
The Spanish mentor recalled vividly how they suffered an upset loss to the relegation-threatened side in Cape Town.
On the other hand, CT Spurs come into this encounter having registered their second DStv Premiership consecutive win following their 2-0 win over TS Galaxy at Athlone Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“They are playing for their lives, and they are playing to try to stay in the PSL,” said Riveiro when asked about facing CT Spurs after their game against Polokwane City FC over the weekend.
“They are going to be tough opponents. So, they beat us in Cape Town a few months ago.
“Now, they are coming to Orlando, and we need to make sure they find a better opposition than last time.”
RIVEIRO NOT TAKING ANYTHING FOR GRANTED
Riveiro further stated that they won’t be taking anything for granted because they know the importance of getting three points and the pressure that comes with it.
“We know when games are coming thick and fast the expectations are high, but already we started [resumed the league] one month ago so we are used to it. But meanwhile, we know we have to play other games that we need to get the same amount of points for each and every game; there’s nothing extra,” Riveiro told journalists during Pirates’ open media day on Monday, 4 March 2024.
“We know the importance of three points. We know what happened when we played at Orlando in front of our supporters; we didn’t get the result we were looking for. Now it’s the opportunity to find ourselves again with our people, with a different result that’s the only thing that occupies our minds right now.”
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