Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro is happy to have started the Betway Premiership with a victory.
This was in spite of the fact that on Wednesday night at Orlando Stadium, the Pirates had to work hard to walk away with three points.
Monnapule Saleng’s header in stoppage time from Deon Hotto’s cross gave the Buccaneers a 2-1 victory over Chippa United after they had fallen behind early.
Chippa landed the first blow through former Pirates star Andile Jali, who scored a spectacular half-volley from the edge of the box.
It was a tough one
Pirates levelled the matters just before halftime when Tshegofatso Mabasa scored a spot kick after Chippa’s Malebogo Modise brought down Saleng in the box.
Pirates looked out of shape for the most of the first half but came back in the second stanza looking better, which left Riveiro satisfied.
“It was a very tough one, as we expected. I was not surprised by the difficulty of the game, but we made it a little bit difficult for ourselves in the first half,” Riveiro said after the match.
“We had a very slow start to the game; we didn’t find the proper rhythm on the ball. We were extremely slow on the ball circulation and not too comfortable on the field.
“I think Chippa was much more comfortable than us,” he said.
I’m happy with three points
He continued: “I think in the second half we were not at our best, but if you compare with the first half, we were much better.
“You could see that the goal was coming, but it wasn’t until extra time that we managed to put the ball in the net and secure the three points.
“It’s a good start to the season, and I’m really happy with the three points.”
Now, Riveiro and his players will turn their attention to the CAF Champions League, where they will host Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in their second-leg match of the preliminary round in Orlando.
The Buccaneers lead the tie 2-0 following an impressive display in Botswana at the weekend.
