Pirates’ Riveiro ready to bag ‘important’ win over Sundowns
Bullish Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro explains why it is important to bag a win over Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday.
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is in a bullish mood as they welcome Mamelodi Sundowns as he is eyeing an important win.
The Spaniard, Riveiro is yet to beat Sundowns since taking over at Pirates last season and he hopes he will eventually secure his first important win.
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Just ahead of the titanic DStv Premiership clash against Sundowns that is slated for 19:30 at Orlando Stadium, Riveiro explains why it is important for Pirates to beat Sundowns.
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PIRATES RIVEIRO WANTS AN IMPORTANT WIN OVER SUNDOWNS
After winning the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles with Pirates in his debut season at Mayfair, Riveiro is aware they have to eventually claim a win over Sundowns.
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The reigning league champions, Sundowns are yet to lose in six league games and will look to remain unbeaten at Orlando against Pirates.
“It is important [to win] because it’s three points at stake and we are playing at home. We don’t want to drop any points, especially at home,” Riveiro said per Sowetan.
“We want to go back on the winning track as soon as possible. We have the opportunity just after not getting the result we were looking for in Botswana.
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“It’s nice to have an opportunity to play against Sundowns because it’s a challenge, there’s extra motivation. But we are Orlando Pirates and I think for the opponent it’s also something to play against us, to come to Orlando and play that game.”
COACH RIVEIRO TO RING CHANGES AGAINST DOWNS
The seasoned Pirates mentor, Riveiro suggested he will make changes in his starting eleven after resting some of his regulars in Botswana.
Against Jwaneng Galaxy, Pirates rested a number of their key players such as striker Zakhele Lepasa, Monnapule Saleng, and Patrick Maswanganyi among others.
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“After the recent Fifa break, we looked at the schedule, knowing that we must play from Sunday to Sunday… three very important games for us in three different competitions, where we want to perform at our best, that’s our concern, that’s all,” Riveiro added.
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“Don’t talk about rotations because it’s not a rotation, we try to go to games with guarantees that we can compete as good as possible. In Botswana we didn’t get the result that we wanted obviously, but it’s only the first half of the game.”