Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says their desire to qualify for the CAF Champions League next season makes winning the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs imperative.
Pirates have dropped a staggering 27 points after 19 games in the DStv Premiership this season when they were tipped as potential title challengers for Mamelodi Sundowns.
But for all their lack of consistency, a win over Amakhosi could make them back into second ahead of SuperSport United, Cape Town City and Stellenbosch.
“To collect the three points, that we need to achieve our objective, which is right now to play the Champions League next season,” Riveiro said.
“But obviously [the derby] is much more than three points, it’s one of those games where everyone is together, fans, teams players, everything.
“So it’s a nice opportunity after a poor performance [against Spurs], to show what we’re capable of doing on the day, so I cannot see any better opportunity than this one and we have [24] more hours to prepare, to rest – it’s a pity that usually when we play derbies we don’t have so much time. It is what it is – we’re used to it, we’ll be alright.”
Pirates beat Chiefs in the first round of the 2023/24 season with Evidence Makgopa scoring the only goal of the game back in November and with a double up for grabs – Riveiro feels the confidence it can bring is also a huge motivation.
“It helps [to get a double], not only for us as players and staff but also for the fans obviously, the people in the club when you play these types of games, it makes you feel… when you get the result that you are… you can be more positive to all the challenges that comes between now and the end of the season,” Riveiro explained.
“So it’s an opportunity to get that boost, hopefully it works in the same way that it did the last time [we beat Chiefs]. After the derby we have to play the Nedbank last-16, I think now in professional football, we’re used to this type of schedule, it won’t change.
‘We have to adapt ourselves to the lack of time to prepare for such a big game like this – I don’t know what else to say.”
