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“Pirates was the better team during the two games” – Jose Riveiro

You are currently viewing “Pirates was the better team during the two games” – Jose Riveiro
Jose Riveiro, head coach of Orlando Pirates reacts during the Betway Premiership 2024/25 match between Polokwane City and Orlando Pirates at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on the 05 April 2025 © Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro believes his side were the better team during their two-legged CAF Champions League quarter-final clash against MC Alger.

The Buccaneers were forced to share the spoils with MC Alger after playing out to a goalless draw at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Soweto giants advanced to the semi-finals after they secured a 1-0 aggregate victory over the Algerian outfit in the two-legged fixture.

Pirates are now set to face Pyramids FC in the last four first-leg when the two sides meet at the Orlando Stadium on Friday, April 18.

Riveiro’s men will then travel to Cairo, where they will face the same opponents at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium on Friday, April 25.

“Orlando Pirates was the better team I think during the two games,” said Riveiro on SABC Sport.

“So congratulations to the boys, to the club, to our fans. This is a fantastic moment for all of us and we have to really enjoy the moment. There’s nothing that can change the fact that we are in the semi-finals.

“Oh, it’s a difficult team to play against long balls one after the other. It doesn’t matter you cannot press them, you cannot have possession in their half after pressing because they will kick the ball as soon as they see a little bit of ball possession.

“They are good in the second actions. They are a strong, good side, so they have the capacity at least to take you there for two or more times after the long ball. But I don’t think that we suffered so much in those actions”.

“I think the game of our back-five, back-three was excellent [Thalente] Mbatha and [Makhehleni] Makhaula in the second balls Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng]. The way that Dion [Hotto] and Deano [Van Rooyen] helped us to run away of the pressing in the first half it was excellent.

“We play with a big heart. We play the way that you have to play this type of games. It’s not about making the game beautiful. It’s not going to be beautiful, it cannot be.

“You need two teams to try to play good football. If it’s only one, it’s not possible. So you know it’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a war and it was like that what we expected.”