Riveiro says growing injury list won’t impede Pirates cause

With the games coming thick and fast, the heavy schedule seems to be taking its toll on the Orlando Pirates players.

Olisa Ndah, who had formed a tough-to-crack center-back pairing with Thabiso Sesane, has become the latest player to join the casualty ward at Pirates.

READ MORE: Pirates offer bleak Olisa Ndah update ahead of Magesi clash

Head coach Jose Riveiro would be forgiven for making excuses if his team does not do well in the Carling Knockout which starts this Friday. But the Spaniard believes that he still has enough talent at his disposal to go all the way in the competition and hopefully add it to the MTN8 title that they have already won. 

Speaking to the media in Bryanston on Thursday ahead of their last 16 clash against Magesi FC at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (Kick off 3pm), Riveiro said success comes with challenges.

“We feel for all of them because players always want to be on the football pitch, they want to play games. (Before getting injured) Olisa Ndah was in an exceptional moment of his career. It’s a pity that he won’t be part of the team for the upcoming months. But we have solutions (for him) in the squad,” said Riveiro.

The Spanish coach added that he does not have a selection headache because of the injured players, saying he has enough depth in his squad to replace them.  

“We have enough quality in the squad to replace Olisa and other players as we did in the final (of the MTN8). He didn’t play but we had an international player in (Nkosinathi) Sibisi. Thapelo Xoki is also coming back soon. We also have our captain Innocent Maela. So the only headache I have is to find the best starting line-up in a squad of 39 players.

“The fact that Olisa won’t be around for a long time, it’s something that we cannot change. The medical department is working hard to try and bring Olisa and other injured players back as soon as possible. 

“Our job is to ensure that the other players that come in for them are ready to do the job as was the case with Sibisi who came in and delivered a good performance in the final. That talks a lot about the players’ readiness in the squad,” concluded Riveiro.