Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says they didn’t show enough to beat Sekhukhune United and while one can point at scheduling, there’s nothing they can do about it.
Pirates’ slim chances of fighting for the title took a major blow with the 1-0 loss at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening as Trésor Tshibwabwa smashed home a header, highlighting their vulnerability at set-pieces that was exposed in the CAF Champions League.
- ALSO READ: Pirates Starlet Maintains Positivity Despite Sekhukhune Loss
- ‘Tso’ Questions Pirates Mentality After Sekhukhune Defeat
It comes five days since their exit from Africa’s elite competition against Pyramids, where they fell 3-2 in Cairo against the Egyptian Premier League side for a place in the final against Mamelodi Sundowns – who are now 12 points ahead of them in the league title race.
“I think the first half was for us, with a couple of transitions on the right side but not much, in the second half, the feeling our side was that the goal was coming, we were much better, had a couple of chances, set-pieces,” Riveiro said.
“In one corner we could have taken the lead and then from that we were not the team we should be or want to be, it was individual war, trying to create chances, going for goals but not really well organised or knowing what we were doing in the last meters.
“We created chances, opportunities but more of the quality, individual quality, some mistakes from the opponent, not because we were elaborating so much.
“But yeah 1-0 if we think about the game before the goal, I think we were better than Sekhukhune. But overall, I think we were not good enough to deserve even the equaliser.”
Check out the upcoming Betway Premiership fixtures and the updated log in our match centre.
Pirates still have two games in hand over Sundowns and the Nedbank Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs to think about, with the league clash against Amakhosi upcoming on Saturday and then the domestic cup final the week after.
And while Pirates have played over 40 games, lost to Pyramids with a gruelling travelling schedule to return home, the Spaniard stated it’s not something they can complain about now.
“That’s something obvious but winning and losing, the schedule is the same, I think at 0-0 it was Mbokazi, the ball was going over the cross bar, if we scored the first goal, we win this game but yes the schedule is so hectic, so difficult but it is what it is,” he said.
“Winning, draw, losing, it doesn’t matter, we can’t change the schedule, we go where they call us to play, we go, we try our best and I think I answered this question 2000 times this year, there’s nothing we can do.
“We try our best to compete in every scenario, my team competed well before the goal, with all the circumstances – but not good enough in the final 15…”
