Riveiro relishing the chance of success in the Nedbank Cup for Pirates

Success in the MTN8 has made Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro eager to lift another trophy as he aims for glory in the Nedbank Cup.

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Pirates won the MTN8 earlier this season, giving Riveiro his first trophy with the club in his first campaign.

The Buccaneers have another shot at success in the Nedbank Cup, with the club set to take on Venda Football Academy (VFA) in the last 16 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. 

The Nedbank represents a different challenge to the MTN8, with the Ke Yona tournament consisting of 32 teams from the DStv Premiership, Motsepe Foundation Championship and ABC Motsepe League. 

The MTN8, of courxe, only caters for the teams that finished in the top eight in the DStv Premiership in the previous season. 

Riveiro, however, believes the experience gained in the season opener tournament will help them in the current tournament. 

“We have had an experience recently and we know the meaning of being in the MTN8 final (against AmaZulu FC), and being the better team also in Durban. So we want to replicate the same and have the same experience together, but that’s something that will happen if we do our job,” said Riveiro ahead of the match against VFA.

More finals please

The Buccaneers coach also believes that a team of Pirates caliber should be competing in finals all the time and that should be a motivation for the players and the technical staff.

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“Teams like Pirates must be in the finals every season – there is a combination of a lot of things to be the better team in the final,” Riveiro continued.

“The possibility of being in a final for a club like Pirates should be motivation enough for all of us to do our best in this competition.”

Pirates will be playing a lower league side for the second time in the tournament when they take on VFA after meeting All Stars FC in the last 32 – they won that match 2-0 thanks to goals by Monnapule Saleng and Thembinkosi Lorch.

Meanwhile, VFA got into this stage of the cup competition after edging Black Cross 2-1 in the first round.