Orlando Pirates ready for a much-strengthened Stellies line-up

The two teams clash at Orlando Stadium tomorrow afternoon, with the Buccaneers looking to maintain their 100 percent winning record going into their eighth game in the league.

Stellies left behind Bafana Bafana left-back Fawaaz Basadien when they traveled to Bamako this week, and Riveiro says they have already done their homework on this.

"Yes, we do, we try to know as usual as much as we can about the opponent and the different possibilities that they can use against us on Sunday. They play slightly differently in the first half of the CAF Confederations game with different roles for some of the individuals like you said, saving or not saving, I don't know the reasons behind,” Riveiro said.

“But not for example Basadien not being part of the game in the beginning. Not a role in Basadien's case. Some players are not available to play against us on Sunday so they probably will try to find a way to minimise our options with whatever they have in their hands."

READ: SuperSport United made to wait for Samir Nurkovic work permit

This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, three months after Pirates beat Stellies 3-1 in the MTN 8 final in September.

Riveiro knows that encounters between the two teams are always tight and difficult to predict.

"It's a team that's quite flexible tactically depending on the result with the capacity to change quick and early inside the games if they are leading or they are chasing. So, we know each other very well because we did have a deep analysis of the opponent before the final just five weeks ago but still there's an evolution in each and every team,” the coach added.

“Stellenbosch is not an exception; they are facing now a different period also without players like Mojela [Lehlogonolo] and some others. So, again an interesting fixture, two really good teams in my opinion, fighting probably for similar objectives. So, it's gonna be an interesting one on the football perspective."