Riveiro: Pirates showed exceptional resilience
Today at 06:01 AM
Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro praised the character of his players as they beat Al Ahly 2-1 in their Cairo fortress on Saturday to clinch top spot in Group C of the CAF Champions League.
Second-half goals from Relebohile Mofokeng (53′) and Tshegofatso Mabasa (83′) at the Cairo International Stadium ensured that the Buccaneers finished four points clear of the defending champions in their group.
It was Pirates’ third away win against the Egyptian giants – a feat no other South African club has achieved – and they were only one of two teams to go unbeaten throughout the group stages along with AS FAR.
Riveiro stated that the performance against Marcel Koller’s side showed that the Sea Robbers can compete in toughest of scenarios and was thrilled with how they defended in the second half under immense pressure.
“Overall I think it was a good game for both teams but I appreciate my players for playing like this, showing resilience against Ahly in Cairo,” the Spaniard said.
“It is a message for ourselves as a young team to say and understand that we have the capacity to compete in scenarios like this one.
“I am not talking about the game, but I am talking about the capacity to perform and to compete even in difficult moments like this.
“So we are so happy we are on top of the group. That is what is important but for today, it’s the character and the personality of the team that matters in a scenario like this.
“It was a good game for both teams looking for a good result from the first minute. I think the first half was very equal. There were moments for Pirates and moments for Al Ahly… good chances.
“In the second half, especially after we scored the first goal, obviously they saw it would not be a good result for them to finish second so they threw everything they had but we managed to defend with a little bit of luck because it is also important for these kinds of games.”
