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Riveiro: Facing Al Ahly Is Not About The Occasion

Riveiro: Facing Al Ahly Is Not About The Occasion

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 06: Jose Riveiro, head coach of Orlando Pirates during the Orlando Pirates media open day at Orlando Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says his side will be focused on the task at hand  rather than the massive occasion that comes with facing reigning CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly.

Pirates have started life in the Champions League group stages with aplomb, having won their first game in Algeria against CR Belouizdad.

However, coach Riveiro's side will face arguably their toughest test in the competition so far as Egyptian giants Al Ahly visit the hallowed Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

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Orlando Pirates host 11-time African champions Al Ahly in a massive Group C clash at the Orlando Stadium this Saturday. Open a TAB account now and bet on Soccer 10, Mega 10 Jackpot, Soccer 13, and more at tab4racing.com.

With two of Africa's biggest teams set to go head to head, fireworks can be expected both on and off the field, though the Spaniard maintains his biggest focus remains what happens on the field as opposed to what happens off it.

"Look, I'm a very pragmatic person, so I'm focusing on the way that I can help my players to beat them," he told journalists during a pre-match press conference.


Read:
Chiefs Coach: They Will Make Some Mistakes
"I don't really think about the occasion. Let's put it in this way. I respect each and every opponent. Obviously we are talking about an opponent with a huge and brilliant history, especially in this competition. It's something that you have to respect. And that's the complexity of the task. It's an opponent that is not only for the players tomorrow, to know how difficult is going to be to find the answers to the questions on the field, it's also for us as a coaching staff, for me, as a coach, I don't want to say an extra preparation, but obviously it's a team that is asking questions that are not always easy to answer and we need to be prepared to anticipate those ones and try to help our players tomorrow life as much as we can.

"That's our job, but I don't about which game is the most important in my career. This is about Pirates, it's about our players to make sure that tomorrow they can face the game with confidence and with a good preparation. That's our role here," he added.

Read: Former Sundowns Winger Surfaces At Pirates

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