No chance of complacency from Pirates in second leg, says Riveiro

There is no chance Orlando Pirates will allow themselves to think half the job is done by taking a 2-1 lead home to  Orlando Stadium for the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal against Stellenbosch FC, Bucs coach Jose Riveiro said.

Deon Hotto’s header, with almost the last touch of six minutes of added time, gave Bucs the winner in Sunday’s first leg at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium against 10-man Stellies, who had Thabo Moloisane sent off in the 32nd minute.

Even if the game ended in a draw, Bucs would have been confident of getting the result they need in the second leg on September 24, from a tough result in which Zakhele Lepasa provided the 66th-minute equaliser to Ismael Toure’s opener in first-half injury time.

Having won in the Cape, Bucs will feel they are on track for a final against Mamelodi Sundowns or Kaizer Chiefs, and the chance to defend their 2022 title.

Perhaps, then, complacency could be Bucs’ biggest enemy at Orlando.

Pirates lost their opening game of the season 1-0 away in the league against Stellies, and Riveiro said his team have the utmost respect for the Cape side.

“No, we play to win every game,” he said, asked if complacency might creep into the return leg.

“I don’t think with our approach today you could say we were just waiting for the opportunity in the second leg.

“We want to be a winning team, we want to enjoy playing football and the only way we know how to do it is by attacking, looking for the ball.

“It [complacency] is not going to be a problem. We play at home and being home is something important and special for us.

“It won’t be the case, but I’m sure that if one team were to go into the second leg thinking, ‘It’s 2-1, we scored away’, probably you will find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.

“One thing is clear for us — we respect Stellenbosch a lot as a team. You wouldn’t find us relaxed meeting Stellenbosch. We know the difficulty of this game.”

Pirates have been in irresistible form since their opening loss against Stellies, winning six of their next seven league and cup games and drawing one, scoring 18 goals to four in the process.

They return from the Fifa break with a Premiership fixture against beleaguered Cape Town Spurs — who have lost all five matches in their first season back in the top flight — at Athlone Stadium on September 16.