Riveiro not banking on MTN8 away-goal rule

Riveiro not banking on MTN8 away-goal rule

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro will not be fixated on the away-goals rule in tomorrow™s all-important MTN8 semifinal second leg against Mamelodi Sundowns.

The two teams played a goalless draw in the first leg at Orlando Stadium two weeks ago and a scoring draw at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane tomorrow afternoon would see Pirates advance to the final. 

But that is not what the Spanish-born tactician is focussed on as he insists it will not influence his selection or how he sets up his team.

"Like any other game, as you said, the away goal can be an important factor in the end of the game, but we need to score a goal, which we didn't [in the first leg]," Riveiro told the media on Thursday.

"There's no advantage for anyone so far - once we score, there's one advantage for us obviously but the double value of the goal can be relevant only in the end of the game.

"At this moment, it's nil-nil, we are even sure that both teams will start the game looking for that advantage, so it's not going to change the preparation, our approach or the players we are going to select at all."

Pirates have not beaten Sundowns in their last six matches in all competitions, spanning the last four years, with their last taste of victory as far back as 2018, but Riveiro reiterated that past records won™t count for much in tomorrow's encounter.

"I'm just focussing on what's coming. I said already in the first leg, the past is not going to play in these games. There are many interesting things to talk about the game coming, rather than about the games that are already played," he defended.

By Velile Mnyandu.