Jose Riveiro on fight for CCL spot: Orlando Pirates can’t have a bad day

With both The Buccaneers and Mamelodi Sundowns through to the Nedbank Cup final, it means the Soweto giants will, at the very least, play in the Confederation Cup – even if they finish outside the top three in the DStv Premiership.

Riveiro says that’s not an option, as they race with Stellenbosch FC for the runners-up spot behind title holders Sundowns. 

"We want to be in the second position at the end of the season, and to make it possible we know that we have to win every point," said Riveiro.

"Stellenbosch are doing well, they are in a good moment of form and are pushing us also to the limit to make sure that we don't fail, and we cannot have a bad day from now until the end of the season."

Pirates beat Chippa United 3-1 on Saturday to continue their quest to defend the Nedbank Cup trophy – a victory that also ensured their CAF participation once Sundowns eliminated Stellenbosch a day later. 

Pirates face The Chilli Boys again on Wednesday and Riveiro believes the Gqeberha-based side will be an even tougher opponent in the league. 

"The way Chippa is going to approach [the match] is something that is not in my sight, it's something the opponents will decide," he added.

"But we were in a similar scenario a few weeks ago when we played AmaZulu in the [Nedbank Cup] quarter-final and three days later, we hosted them in Orlando and it was a really difficult game because after this 90 minutes, we know each other even better.

"So I'm sure it's going to be a very, very tight game [against Chippa], that is going to be decided by very small margins."

READ: Riveiro lauds Orlando Pirates way following four successive finals