Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is aware of Stellenbosch FC’s danger in their MTN8 final clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday 5 October.
The Buccaneers are heading to their third successive final in the same venue, they managed a 1-0 victory against AmaZulu in the 2022 edition of the competition and in 2023, they overcame Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 on penalties to lift the trophy. They want to make history by being crowned champions for three consecutive seasons.
Stellenbosch has had the better of the Soweto Giants in three out of their four meetings, including two league matches and two MTN8 semi-final clashes.
“We have to accept Stellenbosch the way they are. We respect them big time,” Riveiro said in an MTN8 final pre-match presser in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
“We faced Stellenbosch four times last season in the MTN8 semi-final and in our two games in the league. We beat them once (in the MTN8) it took us 94 minutes in Athlone to beat them against 10 players. We didn’t get the results in any of the other games.
“So, we know very well what it means to play Stellenbosch and we have to accept that it’s going to be a game where we are going to be permanently under threat because there are going to be transitions.
“It doesn’t matter how good we are or how we prepare ourselves for that situation, we know what is coming.”
The Cape Winelands continued where they left off last season despite losing some of their key players, they strengthened their squad with Sanele Brans and Lehlogonolo Mojela who have been integrated well into Steve Barker’s set-up and have been instrumental in the team’s success in the CAF Confederation’s Cup.
The 49-year-old coach said he is aware of the talented squad that his opponents are made up of including their aggressiveness when counter-pressing.
“We know Barns, we know Titus, we know Mojela and Jayden. We know their capacity they play quick-forward and how aggressive they are in the counter-press.
“Stellies is the top team in the league and in the PSL tournaments how aggressive they are.
“Mojela is a striker that is top in the fouls that committed with Toure that tells you a lot about the level of aggression that they have when they lose the ball.
“And how aggressive they are when going forward in a moment they steal the ball.
“So, we know that is one of the moments that we need to control, close to the perfection.
“And if we do it we will be close to win the match, if we don’t do it then the results will be compromised.
“It doesn’t mean we are going to deny ourselves the opportunity to play football. We are the team that we are, we play the kind of football that we play.
“And we are going to try and do it again in this final, accepting the challenge,” Riveiro concluded.