Buccaneers worry about unknown All Stars FC in Nedbank Cup clash
Orlando Pirates' José Luis Riveiro says he will apply the same tactics he dished out for Mamelodi Sundowns in a recent league game but hopes this time it will yield the desired results.
Orlando Pirates’ Spanish tactician José Luis Riveiro will be a worried coach when his Buccaneer side meets the ‘unknown’ in the form of All Stars FC who ply their soccer trade in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
The two sides will lock horns at the Bidvest Wits Stadium on Saturday (February 11) and Riveiro fears another giant slaying David v Goliath match by coach Sinethemba Badela’s charges. This will come hot on the heels of the win by Dondol FC (David) from the ABC Motsepe League who claimed the scalp of the much-fancied SuperSport United (Goliath) on February 8 at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in Atridgeville.
Dondol, a Mamelodi side that is co-coached by youthful Alex coach Vincent ‘Young Master’ Rammoni, made history when they outclassed seasoned Premier Soccer League coach Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport 2–1 in the Nedbank Cup last 32 to advance to the last 16 round.
“I don’t know whether I will be the next to be scalped,” Riveiro told a packed press conference at the headquarters of the Premier Soccer League ahead of what has been dubbed a ‘mouthwatering’ clash capable of going the minnow’s way considering that The Ghosts of Orlando have been blowing hot and cold in the DStv Premiership.
“We have the greatest respect for all teams and that includes All Stars as they are capable of causing an upset. The only advantage on our side is that we know the venue very well as we have played many times on it and just a few weeks back we trained there as well.
“I just pin my hopes on that advantage but we are not going to be sheep to the slaughter. We are going to play our normal game and give it the best we can and just hope the results come our way at the end of the 90 minutes.”
The Spanish tactician said they would apply the same tactics when they played the top team in the league, Mamelodi Sundowns. “We will try and find the holes and gaps to punish them as it worked for us against Sundowns but we were unfortunate not to score goals.
“I am not intimidated [by All Stars] as this is knockout competition though full of surprises but we have braced ourselves for the unknown. I know how talented players are in the [National] First Division and their hunger to slay the top teams. We will just have to contain them and maybe get a good result.”
Related Article:
