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Orlando Pirates will play against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.
Orlando Pirates coach, Jose Riverio says despite losing two of their last games, his players are looking forward to Saturday’s Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs and want to end the season on a high note.
His opposite number at Chiefs, Nasreddine Nabi, says they are still the biggest club in the country and might be going through a rough patch, but can still win on Saturday at the FNB stadium.
Orlando Pirates has had one of their best seasons in years, even under Riveiro, with the club reaching the CAF Champions semi-finals.
While the club won both the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup trophies in the last two seasons, they weren’t as competitive in the league. The players’ confidence and mood might be low after they were knocked out of the CAF Champions League and also losing 1-nil to Sekhukhune at home on Wednesday. But Riveiro says that is surprisingly not the case instead, players want to do well on Saturday and in all their final games of what has been an exceptional season for the team.
“We know that we are facing the last part of the season. I am not a person to say because I can’t be objective, but what the players deliver is second to none, is exceptionally good, and we want to finalise it in a good way, so we know how important Saturday’s game is.”
Chiefs seemed to have turned the corner and, against odds, beat Mamelodi Sundowns to reach the Nedbank Cup final. But the Amakhosi were humbled by Marumo Gallants losing 2-1 last Saturday at the FNB stadium and are in ninth position on the Betway premiership standings. Coach Nabi say,s despite that, Chiefs are still the biggest club in the country and might win on Saturday.
“Despite our log standing,s we believe that two big clubs are going to play, and even if we are not in a good position, the biggest clubs get ill but can never die, so we might be ill, but we still believe we can do something,”
The two clubs will meet for the second time next week Saturday in the Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.
