Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro is gearing up for a crucial clash against Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final, which will be held at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday at 18:00.
Riveiro and his team aim to make history by becoming the first club to win the prestigious MTN8 tournament three times in a row in history.
Despite the ambition, Pirates face a stern challenge from Stellenbosch FC, who are well-coached by Steve Barker and have shown strong form in their previous encounters with the Buccaneers.
Last season, the two teams faced off four times, including twice in the MTN8 semi-finals. Each team managed a win, but Orlando Pirates advanced to the final on aggregate.
In league meetings, however, Stellenbosch had the upper hand, winning both fixtures against Pirates.
The match promises to be a competitive and intense showdown, with Pirates looking to defend their MTN8 title while Stellies will aim to spoil their party and claim the trophy for themselves.
“We have to accept Stellenbosch the way they are. We respect them big time,” Riveiro said in an MTN8 final in Johannesburg.
“We faced Stellenbosch four times last season in the MTN8 semi-final and in our two games in the league.
“We beat them once (in the MTN8) it took us 94 minutes in Athlone to beat them against 10 players. We didn’t get the results in any of the other games.
“So, we know very well what it means to play Stellenbosch and we have to accept that it’s going to be a game where we are going to be permanently under threat because there are going to be transitions.
“It doesn’t matter how good we are or how we prepare ourselves for that situation, we know what is coming.”
The Spaniard tactician has also identified players that might trouble his side on Saturday, noting the on-form Lehlohonolo Mojela and Sanele Barns as key men to Stellies’ success.
“We know Barns, we know Titus, we know Mojela and Jayden. We know their capacity they play quick-forward and how aggressive they are in the counter-press.
“Stellies is the top team in the league and in the PSL tournaments how aggressive they are.
“Mojela is a striker that is top in the fouls that committed with Toure that tells you a lot about the level of aggression that they have when they lose the ball.
“And how aggressive they are when going forward in a moment they steal the ball.
“So, we know that is one of the moments that we need to control, close to the perfection.
“And if we do it we will be close to win the match, if we don’t do it then the results will be compromised.
“It doesn’t mean we are going to deny ourselves the opportunity to play football. We are the team that we are, we play the kind of football that we play.
“And we are going to try and do it again in this final, accepting the challenge.”
Lehlohonolo Mojela’s 5th goal in all competitions for @StellenboschFC 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/MjRamhNZwF
— P Management Sports (@PManagementRSA) September 29, 2024
