Young Pirates showed they can handle pressure in draw against Pyramids: Riveiro

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro believes his young team showed they can earn a result under pressure, even if they were unable to score crucial goals in their home leg of their Caf Champions League semifinal tie against Pyramids FC.

Bucs’ strong record in this Champions League against North African teams away and that they remain the only unbeaten side gives Riveiro hope his side can earn the scoring draw or win they need in Friday’s second leg in Cairo to go all the way to the final.

The Spaniard said, while Pirates had to settle for a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Orlando Stadium against a Pyramids who came to unsettle Bucs with an attacking gameplan, even that result shows his young side’s maturity on such a huge stage.

“I'm so proud of them,” the coach said after a draw that saw Pyramids have the ball in the net twice, but those strikes disallowed by VAR.

“It's not easy to find yourself in the semifinal of this competition and trying to play the football we try to play all the time, under pressure and with a team that came here to also try to play, to press us and give us problems in our build-up.

“And [goalkeeper Sipho] Chaine, the centrebacks [Nkosinathi Sibisi and Mbekeli Mbokazi], our midfielders [Makhehlene Makhaula and Thalente Mbatha] were brave enough to find multiple situations of advantage and during that process it’s normal that sometimes you will make one or two mistakes.

“We're not perfect, we don't even pretend to be perfect and we're not going to change.

“We believe in what we're doing, we're getting good results and good performances in the way we play football.

“Sometimes we need to be more conservative and we managed to be and to have that role also, especially in this competition. And that’s what we do.

“I think most of the people identify with the type of football we've played this season and it's not going to change now.”

Pirates, in just their second round-robin campaign since reaching the 2013 Champions League final, topped Group C by four points from another Egyptian side, 12-time winners Al Ahly. A big part of that success was Bucs earned wins away against experienced campaigners CR Belouizdad in Algeria and Ahly. They also won 1-0 away in their quarterfinal against MC Alger, drawing 0-0 at home.

In both those wins the scorers and providers of goals were attacking 20-year-olds Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota.

Riveiro will count on the fearless and boldness of his youngsters — Mbokazi, 19, is another — at 30 June Stadium, though they face an uphill battle against a side the coach described as the best they have faced this season. Pyramids have scored 23 goals in six home games in the 2024-25 Champions League.

“There’s no doubt it’s good for them [the young players] as individuals and good for Pirates as a football club.

“It’s good for the national team too. So far the boys are doing so well, they are performing in any kind of game week in, week out.

“Mistakes are part of the game — everybody makes them, the senior ones and younger ones. What we have to do as a team is back each other up and that when those mistakes happen the senior players play an important role for the youngsters.

“Together we manage to be a brave team in every competition and it will be like that to the end.”

Pirates also are challenging Mamelodi Sundowns — who also drew 0-0 at home in their Champions League semifinal first leg against Ahly — for the title in the Betway Premiership and contest the May 10 Nedbank Cup final in a Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium.