Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says the time off during the FIFA break will give those players and staff not involved with international teams, a much-needed break.
Pirates were a busy team over the past few weeks, from their participation in both the DStv Premiership and MTN8 as well as CAF Champions League qualifiers.
The club has five players currently on duty with South Africa and a clutch of players representing both Ghana and Namibia.
But for the rest of the squad, this time is a welcome respite ahead of their Champions League second preliminary round first leg qualifier with Jwaneng Galaxy on Sunday 17 September.
Josè Riveiro loves Pirates pic.twitter.com/VZlcQ7BZoY
— 🅵🆁🅰🅽🅲🅾 (@ZukzFranco) September 5, 2023
Riveiro said on SuperSport: “We had a long journey in August, there was a period of many days in a row without stopping.
“So, it’s a well-deserved pause, let’s say that. It’s not even a break because it’s not going to be long unfortunately, so we’ll use the time to prepare the upcoming games.”
Riveiro added: “It’s a time that we can use to work more on small things as individuals, that we can help them to polish certain things because we don’t have the rush of the competition and the pressure of the games coming.
“As coaches we really like these chances because we can affect a bit more what’s happening in the team during the week without that pressure of a game every three days.
“It seems like a secondary period in the planning but it’s a very important moment of the season. So we have to use it and we have to use it well.”
