Relief was written all over the face of jubilant Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro after he defended a trophy he first won a few months after arriving in South Africa to coach the Soweto giants last season.
Pirates beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 on penalties at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday in a scrappy final that ended 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Riveiro’s relief was palpable after Bucs were written off having suffered three defeats in four matches heading into the final, one of those against the Brazilians in the DStv Premiership (1-0).
Sipho Chaine was the hero, saving Teboho Mokoena, Bongani Zungu and Junior Mendieta’s spot-kicks. Pirates’ goalkeeper was lucky though not to have been judged to have fouled Thapelo Maseko inside the area in the dying moments of the game.
Riveiro spoke of a decision to keep Chaine in goals for the penalties after they had taken him off last week when Bucs were eliminated 5-4 via spot-kicks in the Caf Champions League preliminary round by Botswana club Jwaneng Galaxy.
“Look it’s a different approach,” Riveiro said of the decision not to take replace Chaine with Richard Ofori in extra time.
“Against Jwaneng we had to play for qualification [for the Champions League group stages] against a team we knew nothing about in penalties. There’s no material and there’s nothing to analyse.
“So we tried something different and sometimes those decisions are more mentally towards the opponent to try to destabilise them. It’s kind of a mind.
"[Jwaneng] knew [Pirates] but we didn’t [know them]. We had nothing. There’s no reference when you go to the penalties in terms of how the keeper [should] behave and how their takers usually behave. You can have a plan, and it didn’t work.
“Today it was the same for both teams. We know the goalkeeper and we know the takers, the same way they do. We have more influence in what’s happening. Our goalkeeper coach and analysis department [say] that’s what they do.
“You go there with more information and more probabilities to succeed. Today it worked but nowadays penalties are no longer a lottery because of what I said [of both teams knowing each other].”
Pirates’ coach said he was happy with how his players executed their plan in conditions that he said were not conducive to good football. Both Riveiro and his counterpart, Rulani Mokwena, said strong wind and a pitch far from its best condition made life difficult.
“How do I feel? I feel proud. Proud of the performance of our team tonight,” said the Spaniard.
“It was difficult, not only because of the level of the opponent, which we all know, but I think it was a pity for both teams I think. We had to fight with very difficult conditions to play football.
“It’s a different game when you play against the wind and when the wind is on your side. Neither team managed to play consistently in the way we wanted to play due to that, and in the second half we suffered a lot when we accumulated fatigue, and against the level that they had on the ball and the speed in their passing.
“If you really want it more than the opponent, then you’re much more closer [to winning]. I think Pirates won because of the way we played in the final. Football is not only about possession and passes. Sometimes you need some other things and today we did it well in that sense.”
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