Pirates coach shrugs off Stellies loss to focus on PSL title

One defeat with a good performance against a competitive Stellenbosch FC changes nothing and Orlando Pirates will continue to run their own race for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title, Bucs coach Jose Riveiro said.

If there is a match where a championship-chasing team will not be overly fazed at dropping three points, it is against Steve Barker’s excellent Stellies. The Cape side’s 1-0 win at Orlando Stadium on Sunday via Devin Titus’ winner brought to an end Pirates’ run of eight wins with one defeat in all competitions and eight games unbeaten in the PSL.

“It’s a difficult team to play for sides like us, whose style is based on possession,” Riveiro admitted, not for the first time, Stellies plotted a reversal against his side.

“It’s a really organised team behind the ball. They don’t have any problem with spending long periods without the ball, like in the second half.

“The solidarity in their group is exceptional. If you saw today, every time ‘Rele’ [Relebohile Mofokeng] and [Mohau] Nkota, or ‘Tito’ [Patrick Maswanganyi], our forwards, were on the ball, they always had three, four bodies harassing them with no time, no opportunity to turn, especially after they got the lead.

“They have a lot of speed up front with [Devin] Titus, Sanele [Barns], even [Ashley] Cupido, so it’s a permanent threat for a team that is trying to build chances through possession.

“Because you feel you are in control but then what happened is a situation we already saw many times, right? Titus running, one transition behind your fullback and scoring the winning goal.”

Bucs’ first league defeat of the season, and Mamelodi Sundowns’ 3-0 home win against Sekhukhune United on Saturday, saw the Brazilians take the lead of the PSL on goal difference, with both sides on 21 points.

Pirates’ coach was asked if the result has any relevance in the title race.

“We have the same number of points,” he said. “We lost today, they lost against Polokwane City a few weeks ago.

“So we have to run our race — that’s it. We played against Stellenbosch today, we didn’t play against Mamelodi Sundowns. We are competing against Sundowns, Stellenbosch, Kaizer Chiefs, Arrows; against everybody — it’s three points in every game.”

Pirates have an open week of preparation for their big Caf Champions League Group B game against 12-time winners Al Ahly at Orlando on Saturday (3pm).

“In this period it’s a luxury to have four days — five with recovery — to prepare for the game as well as possible,” Riveiro said.

“Obviously now we look to the future. The next game is going to be something else, we are going to be tested at a very high level.

“And we will face the week with good attitude, motivation and the ambition to offer a good performance on Saturday here against Al Ahly.”