Riveiro on prospects of facing Sundowns in Champions League

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has shared his thoughts on the possibility of facing Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.

The draw is set to take place in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

With the Buccaneers seeded for the draw and the Brazilians unseeded, there’s a huge possibility that the two South African giants could meet in the round of eight.

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Pirates qualified for the Champions League knockout stages after topping Group C, ahead of Al Ahly with 14 points from six matches and as a result, they will be placed in the seeded pot.

Sundowns finished second in Group B with nine points after six games and as result will be placed in the unseeded pot.

“It’s one of the three opponents that we can get from that draw. If it’s Sundowns, it’s good that we don’t have to travel so far. So it can be good for planning for both teams, we know each other very well, we’re going to play again on the 15th [March] as well,” Riveiro told the media after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Baroka FC in the Nedbank Cup last-32 round.

“For me to comment about the possibilities in the draw, is pointless. Yes, we have our conversations amongst ourselves, the technical staff, including at the last camp, but it’s how one can be better prepared basically for the way we play football more than anything else.”

Riveiro added that he would have preferred to meet Sundowns at the later stages of the competition. Sundowns hammered Pirates 4-1 the last time the sides met at Loftus last week. 

“If it’s Sundowns, I think it’s going to be a big, big clash for the country. It’s going to attract a lot of attention one more time. But hopefully, it’s not this time; hopefully, it’s a little bit later in the competition. It could actually be better for all of us if that game happens at the end.”

Meanwhile, Riveiro was delighted that the Buccaneers managed to win their game against Baroka inside the 90 minutes of play.

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“Obviously, if there’s something that we didn’t need, it was extra time, because it would affect a lot of the planning for the next week.

“We have a difficult game away against Golden Arrows and we are hosting Cape Town City here on Saturday.

“So again, it’s good to finish the game inside the 90 minutes and, like I said, also have the opportunity to give some other players game minutes.”