After former Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro lost his first cup final against Kaizer Chiefs, former Amakhosi defender Morgan Gould has suggested how the Spaniard got it all wrong.
Pirates went into the Nedbank Cup final against bitter rivals Chiefs as heavy favourites, after edging Amakhosi 2-1 a week prior in the Betway Premiership.
Riveiro's cup pedigree also added to the weight of the Buccaneers, on paper, seemingly having an upper hand, as the Spanish tactician had won all his five previous cup finals in almost three seasons at the Ghosts.
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Moreover, The Black and White boasted a 22-point lead over the Glamour Boys in the league, who are scrambling to qualify for the MTN8.
However, Nasreddine Nabi's charges reversed the 2-1 scoreline and won their first trophy in ten seasons.
With Pirates fans still shocked on how Chiefs pulled it off, Gould has suggested that Riveiro got it wrong by reserving his best players in the midweek game against Golden Arrows before the derby.
"How they messed it up for themselves, they played a different line-up and then you expect the team that won the game (in midweek), seven of those players need to come out, with a coach of that magnitude, he needed to know that," Gould said on Switch On Network YouTube Channel.
"Let me just continue with this team, add two or three influential players that can affect the game and I'll have my power houses on the bench but obviously that was not the case, he foresaw himself taking the game to Chiefs.
"They needed to go in this game with a defensive mind, saying, 'Yes, we beat them a week ago but these people are hurting', a wounded tiger is not going to just let you finish them off. Pirates messed it up by bringing players from the stands, in as much as you're a quality player, you must be in and around the team. You can't go from the stands immediately into the field, what message are you saying to the players on the bench?" the former SuperSport United defender questioned.
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Riveiro missed the chance to become the first coach in the PSL era to win the Nedbank Cup for three seasons in a row.
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