It’s exactly 11 months since Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro played his first final in South Africa and the Spaniard hopes the ground that brought him his first silverware will once again bring him a midas touch.
The MTN8 final is forever edging close as Mamelodi Sundowns will confront defending champions Pirates for the new-look Wafa Wafa trophy at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Riveiro had his first taste of silverware as a Bucs coach, when Monnapule Saleng orchestrated the downfall of AmaZulu and won the game 1-0 at the same ground.
Speaking during a media briefing at Rand Stadium on Tuesday, Riveiro reminisced about the final, saying that he hopes Moses Mabhida will bring him fortune to defend their title.
“It was my first time winning the final with the group, the memories we had together [with the players] during and after the game is will always last forever,” Riveiro said.
“Obviously you don’t win a title every week, and the first time doing it with this group of players served as a good memory, but we want to add more.
“[Moses Mabhida] is the stadium where we usually play well and manage to get good results, so we want to repeat that by lifting the trophy again.
“That will probably not play an important role in the game but somehow it makes you feel more at home, and since it will be a sold-out match, the majority of the fans will be Buccaneers – no question about it, which will be an extra motivation for us.”
Riveiro did, however, admit that defending their crown on the day will not be easy, as they will be going up against a tough Sundowns side that is undefeated and has beaten them this season in the DStv Premiership league meeting recently.
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