Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has opened up about the tactical challenges his side faced early on in their 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs, crediting key second-half adjustments for turning the tide in Saturday’s Soweto Derby.
Speaking after the match at a packed FNB Stadium, Riveiro admitted that the Buccaneers were not at their best in the opening stages and were tactically outnumbered in midfield. Chiefs came out pressing high and took control early, with Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Yusuf Maart causing problems through the middle.
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“We had some problems to adjust our defensive positioning in the first half, especially in the first minutes,” said Riveiro, speaking to the media.
“They were excellent with Ngcobo and Yusuf in doubling there in the middle plus the presence of (Gaston) Sirino and (Mduduzi) Shabalala. It took time for us to correct that numerical superiority in the right way,” the coach said.
The Spaniard noted that Pirates were “running without smartness” in the early stages, chasing the ball in long sequences as Chiefs dominated possession.
However, tactical tweaks eventually allowed the visitors to settle and gain control.
“We tried little by little to help the team to adjust, to not run that much and recover a bit of position,” he explained. “That was one of the keys in the second half – getting more control, being a little bit fresher when we were on the ball and not tired from chasing after 20 or 25 passes,” added the tactician.
Riveiro acknowledged that Amakhosi were the better team in the early exchanges but was pleased with how Pirates imposed their game plan as the match progressed.
“Like I said, we were not comfortable at the beginning of the game. I think Chiefs were better in that period. But little by little, we managed to impose our plan,” concluded the coach.
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Goals from Evidence Makgopa and Relebohile Mofokeng secured the win for the Buccaneers, while Chiefs’ goal was scored by Glody Lilepo.
The result keeps Pirates’ momentum alive as they push for a strong finish to the season and give Riveiro his fifth Soweto Derby victory since arriving in South Africa.
