By Michael Madyira
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has emphasised that defending the Nedbank Cup is a top priority for the team.
The Buccaneers resume their Nedbank Cup defence bid with a visit to Chippa United for Saturday’s semi-final showdown at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
After missing out on the PSL title, Pirates are taking the Nedbank Cup seriously, adding to the MTN8 they claimed earlier in the season.
The Soweto giants want to win this prestigious trophy to compensate for their struggle to break Mamelodi Sundowns’ PSL dominance.
“We are happy to find ourselves fighting for the opportunity to be in a final one more time,” Riveiro told the media.
“We know that it’s going to be a difficult match and we have to be prepared for that because we want to be in that final, we are representing Pirates. Right now, there are two [objectives] which are being in the final and fighting to finish in second position, which is not a minor thing.”
Pirates go into Saturday’s match buoyed by a five-match winning streak across all competitions.
They have picked up form at the crucial stage of their season, in which they are showing strong character.
Chippa is aiming for their first-ever Nedbank Cup, which would qualify them to play CAF Confederation Cup football next season.
Chippa has lost its last two league games, and Pirates will want to take advantage of that slump in form.
Pictured above: Chippa United vs Orlando Pirates.
Image source: Chippa United
