Annoyed Riveiro Laments ‘Boring’ Soweto Derby Defeat

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says it was a boring Soweto Derby that should have ended as 0-0 based on the performances of the two sides at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Pirates hosted their first derby against Chiefs since the Covid-19 pandemic in front of a capacity calabash with Yusuf Maart’s wonder goal from inside his own half the difference between the two sides.

Riveiro conceded his troops fell well short of their expectations after coming into the game on a high from their 3-0 win over Mamelodi Sundowns last week which booked their place in the MTN8 final and felt a draw would have been a fair reflection of the clash.

“From my point of view, [it was] a bad game, a 0-0 game, a very slow game, at least the opening, the beginning was played in a rhythm was didn’t expect to be played and also from our opponent I think it was quite boring, to be honest,” Riveiro said in the post-match press conference.

“We didn’t manage to be vertical, Chiefs was giving us the space to play outside and defending with numbers in those corridors. We were very disconnected in the first half of our build-up, our central midfield, and our player upfront.

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“Our occupation of intermedial positions wasn’t efficient, so we couldn’t generate much football inside where we’re used to [playing], where we’re used to creating our chances. We only had the chance to come from outside [wide] where we weren’t dangerous enough.

“We managed to break the lines on the left side a couple of times, we had more space there in the first half but we were too naive in our attacks, they had like one action where they managed to be one v one against Mpontshane, that was all in the first half.”

He continued: “In the second half we were better, we changed the formation and Kabelo Dlamini gave us control in intermedial positions, but again a bit naive if I think about what we did in the lateral corridors, Chiefs didn’t have too many problems to defend our attempts.

“But the game was under control, boring, like I said 0-0 but in one isolated action they managed to score a beautiful goal after a clear foul in the midfield and we couldn’t solve it, the boys tried until the end but we didn’t find good solutions to get the equaliser.”

The Buccaneers who drop to fifth place, nine points off league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will now turn their attention to the MTN8 final against AmaZulu at the sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium next Saturday.