Orlando Pirates are two games away from reaching the CAF Champions League semi-finals, playing Algerian giants MC Alger on April 1 and April 8.
It’s been a while since the Buccaneers had a run at the coveted trophy – the last South African side to lift it was none other than Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016.
If all goes to plan, the two could meet for an all-South African showdown in the finals.
Prevail past MC Alger and not only will Orlando Pirates be one step closer to adding a star to their crest, but they will collect a R22 million winning fee.
The winner will play Egypt’s Pyramids or Morocco’s AS FAR.
Riveiro in the hot seat
Former Orlando Pirates defender Daniel Tshabalala has called out Jose Riveiro’s tactics for holding the Soweto giants back, saying, “It’s all about the preparations. If you are a smart coach, your tactics must be spot-on,
“There must be a lot of analysis taking place because you can’t play the same way every day. At the moment, I see simple things being made difficult. I don’t know whether that’s a new trend in coaching or what,
“For example, we should not have lost the game we played against Sundowns. We were not supposed to lose. You need skillfull players against Sundowns,” he added.
“The Pirates coach is a good coach, but from my perspective, it seems he has reached his limits. That’s my opinion. Winning the league is not easy, and I believe Riveiro’s plans are too limited,
“Sometimes a coach’s plans cannot be executed effectively depending on the players at his disposal. To me, Pirates should be a possession-based club,
“However, I don’t think Pirates will win the league based on what I see. It’s going to be a steep mountain for them to climb to achieve that,
“Matched are becoming unpredictable, there are no guarantees anymore.”
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