Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has informed his players that they will need to know who they are and by doing so that it will be tough for Dondol Stars to stop them, who they were drawn in the Nedbank Cup quarter finals.
But he warns his charges that they will be facing a side that will be charged up because they want to impress to be signed by other clubs in the PSL.
Stars, who are the only side left in the Ke Yona Cup from the regional league – Gauteng ABC Motsepe League, have caused huge heartaches by eliminating two premier division sides – SuperSport United and AmaZulu respectively.
Pirates might have been hoping to avoid them having done so in the past two matches, but it is not the case from the Vigo-born coach in Spain.
Riveiro, who has helped Pirates claim the MTN8 this season already, said those teams cannot be compared to his side, who, unlike Stars, beat two Motsepe Foundation Championship sides – All Stars and Venda Football Academy.
“It’s going to be a difficult task one more time for multiple reasons,” said Riveiro.
“But it is going to be more difficult for them too, as we need to remember the things we learn from these previous games in the Nedbank against lower division.
“We know it’s going to be tough especially because it’s a knockout, it’s 90 minutes, many things can happen, suddenly and unexpectedly.
“We are facing players who want to impress and that is for me the main difference. The opposition wants to improve and players want to boost their careers to show themselves and that is a fantastic opportunity, and that makes things complicated because the level of competition and preparation is important.
“We need to understand that. But one more time we are Orlando Pirates, we need to always perform at a certain level of standards. And this is not an exception; we are going to be prepared.”
Pirates, who the last time lost to an amateur side was in the 2012/13 season in the first hurdle to Maluti FET College, last won this cup in 2013/14 season.
The last time Pirates appeared in the final of this cup was in the 2016/17 season, with SuperSport crushing the Soweto giants 4-1 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.
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They are in the quarter finals of this cup for the first time since the 2020/21 season when they were walloped by all-conquering Mamelodi Sundowns, who thumped them by also 4-1 in Pretoria.
