Riveiro delighted as Pirates show their mettle

Jose Riveiro believes Orlando Pirates showed they are a team to be reckoned with as they held on for a 2-1 Betway Premiership victory over Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday. 

ALSO READ: Pirates pass Sundowns test to keep title race alive

The result still leaves the Buccaneers 15 points behind Masandawana in the title race, but Pirates do have four games in hand on Sundowns. 

Pirates take control

Relebohile Mofokeng fired in an early brace to put Pirates in control at Soccer City. But Sundowns put them under some pressure in the second half, with Khuliso Mudau’s strike halving the deficit. 

“We knew the second half would be tough,” Riveiro told reporters after the match. 

“It demanded exactly what we are, a serious team, a team with the capacity to be resilient, to suffer and to do our job. 

“They scored one and there was a bit of uncertainty but this is football. My feeling most of the time in the second half was that I have seen this again and again and it was not so much of a problem to control the game.” 

‘We were really accurate’

Mofokeng’s double stunned Sundowns inside five minutes. 

“We tried to convince ourselves to have a strong beginning to the game,” added Riveiro. 

ALSO READ: Riveiro – Criticism of Pirates ‘is not fair’

“I am not going to say we planned two goals so early. But we were really accurate in the beginning. If you get a lead early it gives you a good advantage and boosts your confidence. 

“So it was a fantastic script for us.”