Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has pinpointed Stade d’Abidjan’s strengths ahead of their CAF Champions League group stage clash at the weekend.
The Champions League Group C game will take place at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, 4 January 2025. The showdown will start at 18:00.
The two teams played out to a 1-1 draw in their first leg tie that took place at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Ivory Coast in December last year.
Riveiro was speaking at the pre-match press conference at Orlando Stadium on Friday morning.
WHAT JOSE RIVEIRO SAID ABOUT FACING STADE D’ABIDJAN
The Spanish mentor has revealed what makes it difficult to play against the Ivorian side, citing how dangerous they can be when it comes to set plays.
“I have highlighted many times that we are a very good team but inexperienced in this competition, starting with the coach. It’s a new space for us, and we are competing at a really good level. Every game in this competition is an important chapter, especially in our young players’ careers,” said Riveiro.
“To deal with opponents like Stade d’Abidjan, for example, who know very well how to compete in this type of game, they know how to reduce your possibilities in specific scenarios and how they dealt with us in set pieces in the first leg of the game in Ivory Coast.
“We were punished in a special situation when they took their chances in set pieces, corners, and free kicks. Hopefully, tomorrow we can do a better job of dealing with those scenarios.”
Riveiro added: “We can learn to minimise the things that the opponent can be slightly better than us because, in the end, this type of game will always be decided by small margins or small details. So, if we can deal with that, we will be closer to getting good results.
Pirates are currently placed second in Group C with five points after three games. The Buccaneers are two points behind Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly, who tops the group.
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