Kaizer Chiefs might have defeated Orlando Pirates in the last five Soweto Derbies, but Bucs coach Jose Riveiro has warned his bitter rivals ahead of the Nedbank Cup semi-final.
Riveiro said Pirates will be a vastly different side when they take on Chiefs in their Soweto Derby in the Nedbank Cup semi-final at the FNB Stadium this Saturday.
Chiefs have been ruling the roost in the Derby of late, including winning both league matches over their rivals this season and last campaign, making it five straight wins in the derby.
But Amakhosi are approaching this game not in best form, having lost to Swallows and Sekhukhune United in their last three league games, to all but crush their hopes of chasing Pirates for the lucrative second spot that comes with playing in the CAF Champions League next season.
All of this brings a totally new mindset to a Soweto Derby that Chiefs have dominated off late, but Riveiro believes his team has learned their previous Derby lessons well going into Saturday’s fixture.
“The Soweto Derby is one of the biggest games around the world in terms of passion and the feeling around this game,” Riveiro told Vodacom during a media event.
“It’s a new experience for us together and we’re learning. We’ve learned from the previous Derbies and won’t make the same mistakes.
“Now we have an opportunity to express ourselves in a different way compared with the recent Derbies, and for sure we will not miss that chance.
“The result depends on many things, but what is 100% sure is that you’re going to see a different Orlando Pirates in this Derby.”
The Spanish coach said he is very happy with where his team is at, at this crucial moment in the season.
“We are privileged, because of the work we have done throughout the season, to now have the opportunity to play for important titles for the club and for ourselves in the future. We feel that we are arriving at this moment in the season in a very good space,” he said.
It’s a sentiment that is shared by his players, who are determined to keep chasing the glory they still have an opportunity to play for.
– Advertisement –
“Coach is right when he says this will be a different Orlando Pirates for the Derby,” says defender Tapelo Xoki.
“We have the confidence, the belief and the players. And now we also have the experience. For most of us the two recent Derbies were a cagey affair where not many of us had been in that situation.
“But now we’ve experienced it and we know what the Derby means. We know what our goals and targets are for the season and we’re not going to let anybody take that away from us.
“Kaizer Chiefs have taken six points from us in the league, but the Nedbank Cup was part of our goal from the start and we’ll go through them to get it. It is going to be a different Derby for sure.”
Pirates are unbeaten in nine successive games in all competitions, but needed extra-time against Venda Football Academy and penalties against Dondol Stars to reach the semi-finals of the Ke Yona Cup.
