Orlando Pirates’ coach Jose Riviero has lauded his players’ mentality and ambition in knockout games after the team reached their third MTN8 final in a row.
The Sea Robbers sailed to the Wafa Wafa cup final after beating Cape Town City 3-1 on aggregate in the two-legged semi-final.
Pirates drew 1-1 with City in the first leg, which was hosted at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday before emerging as 2-0 victors in the return leg at home, Orlando, on Saturday.
The Bucs have been in beast mode in cup competitions since Riveiro took over the reins three seasons ago, having now qualified for five finals out of six so far.
And having won the last four finals, two apiece in the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup, Pirates are favourites in the MTN8 final yet again.
Riveiro has distanced himself from the label of ‘cup specialist’ but he believes his troops have mastered the art of doing well in cup games due to certain attributes.
“Cup football is different from league football,” Riveiro said. “The reasons are obvious, so I don’t have to describe them here.
“But for whatever reason, which is not only one, but the talent of the guys is also always there, and our approach is pretty much the same in every game as well.
“But we bring in something special, maybe, in terms of mentality and ambitions in these types of games that are taking us to the finals.
“It’s our third MTN8 final in a row, and we managed to be in the final of the South African cup (the Nedbank Cup twice as well).”
But while Pirates’ only blemish in cup competitions was their quarter-final finish in the Carling Knockout Cup last season, Riveiro says they can’t take their successful runs for granted.
“We have to understand that it’s not always possible to find yourself in a final even when you are a big club such as Orlando Pirates,” Riveiro said.
“So, we need to enjoy this moment. The guys need to realise what they are doing because they are writing an important chapter in the history of the club.
“So, they must be proud fans, players and technical team. So, let’s keep going and achieving more things together.”
Pirates are expected to challenge for everything that’s up for grabs this season, including the league title and CAF Champions League.
They are in the second round of the Champions League’s preliminaries where they’ll face Jwaneng Galaxy, who beat them at the same stage last season.
And having only signed a handful of players this season, including Vieira Gilberto, Selaelo Rasebotja and Deano van Rooyen, Riveiro is happy with the squad at his disposal.
“I think we have a fantastic squad but at the same time the obligation of the club is to always keep an eye on the market,” Riveiro said.
“It’s difficult to recruit talent, especially with the way that the club is doing right now with the players that they are taking to the team. They are doing a fantastic job.”
Pirates have had a congested start to the season having played the most games (five) alongside Stellenbosch, who played in the Confederation Cup and MTN8.
Sipho Chaine and Thalente Mbatha were rewarded for their early-season form with their maiden Bafana Bafana call-ups.
Bafana will face Uganda and South Sudan in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday and next week Tuesday, respectively, and Chaine and Mbatha could get their maiden Bafana caps.
“It’s a consequence of the way the team is playing – collective performances and people talking about the boys,” Riveiro said of the duo’s call-up.
“In this case, the national team coach is considering that our players are at the level that Bafana deserves. We are extremely proud of them.
“When we see their names on the list, it’s something that’s special for all of us – especially for those who are going in for the first time.
“Olisah Ndah and Deon Hotto have been called up for Nigeria and Namibia, respectively. Nkosinathi Sibisi, Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng are always there (at Bafana).”