Bucs calm as they face Chippa again

Riveiro sets sights on Stellies for second spot

Dubbing it “another final”, Orlando Pirates mentor Jose Riveiro anticipates that tonight’s league game against Chippa United at Orlando Stadium will be the same as the Nedbank Cup semifinal they played against them away at the weekend.

Pirates thumped Chippa 3-1 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday to reach the Nedbank Cup final, where they’ll face Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on June 1. Tonight (7.30pm), the Buccaneers and Chippa clash in the DStv Premiership and Riveiro expects the game to be almost similar to the one they played three days ago against the Chilli Boys.

“I don’t think it (tonight’s game) is going to be something too different from the Nedbank Cup game. Obviously the reward is different... It’s not the same playing to be in the final and playing for three points but for us it’s another final,” Riveiro said.

“We were in a similar scenario a few weeks ago when we played AmaZulu in the quarterfinals and three days later we hosted them in Orlando in the league and it was a really difficult game because after the first game we know them better than before, so I am sure it’s going to be a very, very tight game that’s going to be defined by small margins.”

As they push for a second spot to qualify for CAF Champions League, Pirates are in blistering form, having won their last six games in a spectacular fashion by scoring 21 goals. Riveiro has emphasised that they can’t afford to have a bad day between now and the end of the season if they are to topple Stellenbosch from the second spot, adding that Stellies keep them on their toes.

“We want to be in the second position by the end of the season and to make it possible, we know that we have to get every point. We can’t have a bad day from now until the end of the season. Stellenbosch are doing well... they are in a good moment of form and that’s pushing us also to the limits to make sure that we don’t have a bad day,” Riveiro stated.

Kabelo Dlamini, who netted a brace against Chippa at the weekend, will again be key tonight.

/SYDNEY MAHLANGU/BACKPAGEPIX Kabelo Dlamini of Orlando Pirates stole the show when they beat Chippa United at the weekend. He will hope to reproduce the same form tonight.