Riveiro says he won’t rotate Pirates squad for Stars clash

Playing a lower division side, one might assume that Orlando Pirates coach will be looking to rotate his squad and give fringe players a chance to play when they take on All Stars in the last 32 round of the Nedbank Cup, but the Bucs coach is not a fan of rotation.

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Pirates will play the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) side at the Wits Stadium on Saturday evening.

One change that’s certain for Pirates however, will be that of captain Innocent Maela, who is suspended for the match due to a number of yellow cards he accumulated.

“We don’t rotate, we don’t rotate players, I explained before. We have a big squad with lots of quality and every week starts with a different scenario. Players are suspended, players are injured, different opportunities because of the way the opponent plays and the moment of our players,” said the Bucs mentor.

“So, if I change two, three, four players on Saturday, it’s not because we’re rotating, it’s because we have some needs. For example, Innocent is not going to be part of the squad, so that’s one change but it’s not a rotation.”

However, despite saying all of that, there is bound to be plenty of changes in Riveiro’s team going to the All Stars tie, especially with players like Thembinkosi Lorch having returned from injury, while new signings Makhehleni Makhaula and Souaibou Marou are itching for game time.

Meanwhile, All Stars head coach Siyethemba Badela says his charges have been excited about the game against Pirates, adding that some of his players like Thabiso Sesane and Ephrahim Mothibedi have a history with their opponents.

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“Immediately after the draw, there was a lot of buzz in the changing rooms and training because we have a lot of players who have history with the club, there has been a lot of excitement. We had the opportunity to look at the opposition,” said Badela.