Bucs coach downplays defeats

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has put in the past his team’s three defeats in four games they suffered going into Saturday’s MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The hardest defeat to stomach for Bucs came in penalties over two legs against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy to exit the Caf Champions League in the preliminary stage. Pirates won Friday night’s second leg at home 1-0, which levelled the tie at 1-1, but exited 5-4 on spotkicks. Before that they lost to Sundowns in the Premiership and Stellenbosch FC in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal, though Bucs still progressed on away goals.

Their recent flat results have raised questions about the team’s readiness for the weekend’s cup final, where they will defend their 2022-23 title.

Asked on Tuesday whether their recent defeats will affect how Bucs perform against Sundowns, the Spanish coach said his focus is only on the game on Saturday.

“I don’t even know which results you’re talking about,” was his surprising reaction. “I’m fully focused on the final and I’m not a person who’s used to drama. It’s done [the previous results], and there’s nothing we can do any more. What we can do is do our best this week.

“We know we have to be prepared to execute a very good game if we want to be the champions one more time. That’s where our attention is. We look for the future. I think it’s an excellent opportunity for us one more time after a difficult period to be in the final, to try to prove ourselves in a scenario like that.”

What is worrying about Bucs is that they have scored only one goal in their last four matches.