Do or die for Pirates against Disciples

Orlando  Pirates coach, Jose Riveiro, is aware that the Buccaneers will not have it easy on Friday night when they face Madagascar champions, Disciples FC.

This is the second leg of their first preliminary round tie in the CAF Champions League at the  Orlando Stadium tonight.

The fixture is on a knife’s edge after the first leg hosted by Disciples in  Mauritius ended in a goalless stalemate, despite Pirates creating numerous chances to win the clash.

A  draw with goals will see the Buccaneers bow out of the continental showpiece on the away goal rule, so it is a do-or-die clash for the 1995 winners.

“It’s about finding the rhythm as soon as possible in the game, to have a good beginning,” Riveiro told the media at Orlando Stadium on Thursday.

“I  can say a lot of things, but the truth is, we need to play close to our best  performance, one more time.”

Coach  Riveiro says they are looking to have a good start in every game and it’s going to be key for them to respect the opponent.

“Even though we dominated the game and had (enough) chances to score there, it was strange that the game finished 0-0. But they also had opportunities to score,  let’s be fair.

“We need to show that we can play in a different rhythm than them and maybe it will be complicated for them one more time.

“I’m  100% sure and the players know that tomorrow (Friday) we are going to be much more accurate in front of the goal,” He added.

Pirates head into the second leg with a better idea of their opponent than in the first leg, last weekend.

“They  are a difficult team with the capacity to run, defend and work for each other as  a team,

“We just need to be patient, but at the same time try to find our rhythm as soon as possible in the first 45 minutes,” Riveiro said.

The match will kick off at 19:30 tonight.