Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has suggested that his side's loss against Kaizer Chiefs helped the team rectify problems in preparation for the MTN8 final.
Pirates narrowly lost 1-0 to Chiefs in the Soweto Derby, a week prior to contesting the MTN8 final against AmaZulu. The Buccaneers went on to edge Usuthu 1-0 in the final over the weekend courtesy of a stunning free-kick by Monnapule Saleng and were crowned champions.
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Riveiro says the team got deeper into what made them to lose against Amakhosi and their analysis from that game shaped how they approached the final.
"We knew why we didn't get a good result against Chiefs, we don't hide our problems or what we don't do very well, so when you get a bad result, usually we're competitive," Riveiro told members of the media in a press conference after the game.
"So we go deeper in our analysis, we try to find reasons why we don't (win), we don't find excuses or bad luck or stuff like that. So we did what we used to do every week, try to find reasons that didn't help us to get a result against Chiefs, understanding that the next (game) is a final," he said.
"There's no time (for) dramas, you know, to feel sorry of ourselves, it doesn't matter if it's a derby, three points at the end of the day," he added.
Pirates made four changes from their loss against fierce rivals Chiefs, two were enforced as captain Innocent Maela and Goodman Mosele were ruled out with injuries. However, the other two changes were seemingly a reaction from the derby loss, as goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane was replaced in goal by Richard Ofori. Mpontshane's mistake in conceding a long range goal from Yusuf Maart could have been a factor but Ofori's experience in cup finals could have equally helped him get the the nod over Mpontshane.
The Ghanaian was in goal when Pirates lifted the same trophy two years ago after beating the now defunct Bloemfontein Celtic in the final and he was also the man between the sticks in the CAF Confederation Cup final against RSB Berkane in May this year, although the Sea Robbers went on to lose on penalties.
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The other big decision for Riveiro in the final was dropping striker Zakhele Lepasa after he got a rare start against Chiefs. With midfielder Miguel Timm back from suspension after missing the derby, Pirates played with a more defensive team than in the game against Amakhosi, where Saleng, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo and Kermit Erasmus were the only recognized attackers in the line-up.
The Buccaneers managed to shut out Usuthu after breaking the deadlock in the first half, with a strong back-line that had Tapelo Xoki, who did not play in the derby, as a third centre-back.
