Riveiro warns Pirates’ game against giant-killers Dondol ‘no piece of cake’

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has cautioned against underestimating their Nedbank Cup quarterfinal opponents Dondol Stars simply because the amateur club plays two divisions below them.

Stars, who campaign in the third-tier ABC Motsepe League in Gauteng, have already made history knocking out two PSL clubs in SuperSport United and AmaZulu in this year's competition.

“We're not thinking it's going to be a piece of cake,” Pirates' coach said on Thursday before their trip to Peter Mokaba Stadium where they'll face Dondol, a team on verge of promotion to the National First Division (NFD).

“They've proved against some other clubs that it was not a piece of cake. We're prepared for a serious job.”

Riveiro is happy they'll meet Dondol having had a good run in their recent games, winning five in a row in all competitions where they have scored 11 goals and conceded two.  

“It's not only about the results,” the Spaniard said.

“I think it's the way we're expressing ourselves on the field and how competitive we are at this moment and what the players are doing and the atmosphere.

“Everything tells you we're in a good space now. The stats are excellent.”

After struggling to get his team to play the way he wanted early in the season, Riveiro said he is now on the same page as his players and the team is playing the sort of football that resonates with him.

Riveiro is confident Bucs can finish second in the DStv Premiership and also stand a good chance of adding the Nedbank Cup to the MTN8 trophy they lifted in the opening half of the season.

“What the team is expressing is good because sometimes ... you just get the results and nothing else [in performance].

“That's what we're trying to avoid. We always try to go in a direction in some of the things we do, like continue improving in our progression. We make sure we get the results through our identity and in how we're expressing ourselves as a collective. In that sense I'm a happy coach.

“Obviously I'm very happy with the last results and the cup game is coming at the right moment and that's what we want to do on Saturday — show we really want to go all the way.

“In these types of games, if you don't show that mentality you're not going to win and it doesn't matter if the opponent you're facing is a first, second or third division team.

“It's about ambition and that is about wanting to see yourself in the next round. The moment tells us we're going there.”

After winning against NFD teams All Stars and Venda Football Academy in previous rounds, Riveiro said he's glad his players will go to Dondol knowing the importance of taking an early lead against lower division sides.

Pirates had to go extra time to beat Venda in the last-16 and Riveiro said he would prefer to go to the break on Saturday with a healthy lead.

“In every game where we scored we have won and for us it's very important that we get the lead.

“We're a confident team when we're leading games. It's not easy to score against Pirates, so it's a big advantage for us. The real scenario is to go to halftime with a good advantage.

“But we have to be prepared for every scenario because we found ourselves going to extra time against Venda.”

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