Riveiro lauds players after away win at Belouizdad

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has described Tuesday’s win over Algerian heavyweights CR Belouizdad in their CAF Champions League Group C opener in Algiers as a “massive achievement”, feeling Pirates will grow from this game.

Twenty-year-old sensation Mohau Nkota netted a brilliant first-half brace in the 2-1 win at Stade Du 5 Juillet. Khanyisa Mayo scored Belouizdad’s goal, a neat header in the 66th minute, his first for the club since joining from Cape Town City in August.

“Getting three points here is a massive achievement. If I am not wrong, Al Ahly [and] Yanga couldn’t make it here in the group stages last season ... to collect maximum points like we did tonight,'' Riveiro said.

“So, we have to put this game in high estimate for our side. Like I said, coming here with a young and inexperienced team and performing the way we did is something to be proud of.

“After these 90 minutes of full intensity, we are a much better team than before. It’s a result and a performance to grow as a team and keep going. It’s just a beginning but three points is a fantastic way to start the group stages journey.”

Even so, Riveiro insisted it would be premature to predict if Pirates will qualify for the knockout phase, suggesting Al Ahly, who are the defending champions, were the favourites to top their Group C. Pirates host Al Ahly at Orlando Stadium on December 7.

“It’s still too early to speculate. Al Ahly are going to be the favourites in whichever group they are. We are having our first experience together as a group in the group stages of the Champions League, dealing with opponents of really high level, so we just want to go game by game,'' Riveiro said.

He conceded the hosts put them under a bit of pressure in the second half, forcing them to defend deep, a thing he said was not in Pirates’ DNA.

“It was not our intention to defend low and say no to our possession, normal possession that we used to have in every game,'' the Pirates coach said.