Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro believes having several players with international football experience will come in handy for the Sea Robbers in pursuit of the Caf Champions League goal.
Pirates booked their spot in the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2019 when they dispatched Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy at the weekend.
The Soweto giants beat Galaxy 1-0 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday and won 3-0 on aggregate.
The Buccaneers have seen several of their players who are part of coach Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana growing recently.
Players such as Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Thalente Mbatha and Sipho Chaine were part of the recent Bafana squad.
Other stars such as Evidence Makgopa, Zakhele Lepasa, Tapelo Xoki and skipper Innocent Maela have also been part of the national team over the past year.
Nigerian centre-back Olisa Ndah recently made a return to the Super Eagles setup, featuring in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, while Deon Hotto is a regular for the Brave Warriors of Namibia.
Riveiro believes the experience the players gain from playing for their respective national teams will be key moving forward.
“We have an interesting group there, a group of young and talented players, a bunch of winners. They want to continue improving and winning,” Riveiro told media after the game.
“Again, we have an opportunity to continue playing in these tournaments. The African Champions League is an interesting tournament. You get to play against quality opponents in tough games,” he said.
“So, every pinch of experience will count and our players going into the national team, playing in the Afcon about seven or eight months ago is something that we can always capitalise on as a club and group.
“The talent is there, the quality is there and we only need to keep going and accumulate experiences and the future will be fine.”
After failing to help Pirates move past the preliminary rounds last season, falling to Galaxy, Riveiro expressed his excitement about achieving the feat this time around.
“It’s absolutely special for me,” Riveiro said.
“Not everyone has the opportunity to coach Orlando Pirates. That’s the first thing that makes me feel fortunate.
“We have a fantastic group, and they are taking us to the group stages. As a coach, I’m really proud of the work that we have done so far in this competition.”
Pirates shift focus to the Betway Premiership where they will face Polokwane City at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday at 15:00.
City have had an excellent start to the league, winning both their opening matches against AmaZulu FC and Magesi FC.
The Sea Robbers opened the league with a hard-fought 2-1 win over determined Chippa United.
