Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro was surprised by the level of
Venda Football Academy in the Nedbank Cup, as they gave the Buccaneers a
run for their money before eventually succumbing to a late winner in extra
time.
Riveiro was impressed by the tactical flexibility of the Motsepe
Foundation Championship side and their bravery in taking on the Soweto
giants. “The opponent surprised me a bit, I expected resistance but not
the way they did it. They played different compared to the way they have
been playing recently in their league,” the Spanish mentor said in a press
conference.
Riveiro went on to explain that although Venda made them suffer, he was
happy to see their bravery and believes the team will grow faster from
those type of matches, where they are pushed to the limit.
“Even though I suffer but I’m glad to see the way they played, how brave
they were. I take both games (as) part of our learning process,” he said.
“I said to the guys (players) that I’m a very optimistic person, I think
these types of games and struggles and fights are going to be the
important part of our journey together.”
“Teams always grow quicker in difficult situations like what we
experienced (against Venda). We as a group and the fans, understanding
that it’s very difficult to win a football game, it’s a fact and we need
to appreciate every victory,” he added.
The Buccaneers will resume their programme when they host rivals for
second spot in the DStv Premiership, SuperSport United on Saturday.
