Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has reacted to the club’s humiliating defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday afternoon in the Betway Premiership.
Pirates suffered a 4-1 loss against Sundowns in the Betway Premiership at a packed Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Sundowns found the back of the net through a brace from Lucas Ribeiro, while Grant Kekana and Teboho Mokoena scored the other two goals.
On the other hand, Pirates scored a consolation goal from Namibian international Deon Hotto in the second half. Pirates’ loss to Sundowns saw them trail The Brazilians with nine points on the log standings.
Sundowns have accumulated 42 points in 15 games after winning 14 league matches and losing only once. Pirates, who are occupying the second spot on the league table, have collected 33 points in 14 outings after winning 11 matches and losing three times.
The two title chasers came into the much-anticipated match high on confidence after winning their midweek fixtures against SuperSport United and Sekhukhune United, respectively.
JOSE RIVEIRO HAILS SUNDOWNS’ EFFECTIVENESS IN THE FINAL THIRD
Having lost an opportunity to narrow down the gap on Sundowns, Pirates coach Jose Riveiro admitted that their opponents were more effective in the final third.
“They scored four; Sundowns were quite effective in front of goals today. The first two goals are coming from two accidents, the reading of both actions it’s something that we should have avoided,” Riveiro said in SABC Sport.
“We lost due to the field [in bad condition], set pieces and the transition with Lucas Ribeiro, who can finish in a fantastic way.
“In the second half, we tried to change our approach a little bit; we took too many risks, and we came close with a 2-1 score. I think in that moment, the game was more on the side of Pirates but they reacted, they managed to find the net again and after third goal the game was over for us.”
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