Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has denied there’s any advantage in the 3pm kick-off against Al Ahly but rather the home support as the key factor at Orlando Stadium.
Ahly have traditionally struggled in South Africa and made things vocal against Mamelodi Sundowns about the early kick-offs in Tshwane in the scorching heat, with one of the most famous results being the 5-0 drubbing at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.
In Egyptian media it’s been a trending topic as Pirates continued the early kick-offs, while Ahly look to host games in the latest slot available in order to play in cooler weather conditions.
“Well, I think they are used to the heat in Cairo if I’m not wrong, so I think it’s going to be tough for both teams to play at 3 o’clock, it’s going to be 34, 35 degrees here in Orlando at that time, so at some point will get affected,” Riveiro said.
“We’re going to play the game with the same conditions, Ahly and ourselves, so it will never be an excuse for anyone, no matter what happens tomorrow, it’s football, and it’s played outdoors in different conditions.
“Raining, not raining, with different balls, wind, or without wind – so when you want to win games consistently you need to adapt to the situation, Orlando Pirates will do it and Ahly is used to playing in every possible scenario, they are not going to be [bothered] by the fact that it’s going to be a hot day.”
The Spaniard suggested it’s important that eSgodini becomes the fortress for the competition for their chances to progress to the next round and they will be vital for any sort of result against the reigning African champions.
“Obvious we want to start well at home, we want to compete, we want to make sure that for the rest of the season, this competition especially when we play in Orlando, we feel we have a [advantage] which is the people who come to support, not the heat,” he said.
“It’s the people, the trust we get from the stands in all scenarios and tomorrow they must play a role as well if they want to see the team winning in the end of the 90, that’s our advantage, we have passionate fans behind us.
“They have to play the game with us as we will go through difficult moments in the 90 minutes and it’s going to be important, they don’t stop cheering, pushing and supporting us all until the end.”
The two sides meet in Soweto on Saturday at 15h00.
