By Michael Madyira
Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro was left awestruck after his first-ever Soweto Derby.
The Buccaneers lost 1-0 to Kaizer Chiefs in sensational fashion at the filled-to-capacity FNB Stadium on Saturday.
For Riveiro, who has coached youth teams in Spain and the top-flight league in Finland, the Soweto Derby was a whole new experience.
The 47-year-old Spaniard said it was difficult for him to relay instructions to his players and the experience made him uncomfortable.
“We play in Polokwane in front of 45,000 and 37,000 in Durban and I think the guys are used to it. The atmosphere is amazing. It’s nice to be involved in a game like this even though it’s not comfortable for me to do the job,” he said.
“Sometimes the players don’t even hear the referee’s whistle. It’s sometimes crazy how loud the crowd is and for you to get to the players.”
He said that playing in front of 90,000 spectators both teams should have performed better.
“My players did everything to execute the plan and get the results. You can imagine how important it was to get the three points,” he said
In Finland where Riveiro last worked, he was involved with four clubs. He was an assistant coach at HJK Helsinki which is the only club with a 10,000-capacity stadium.
Now he has found himself at the helm of the Buccaneers inside a roaring FNB Stadium facing demanding Pirates fans and intimidating Chiefs supporters.
At FC Inter Turku where he was head coach the club rarely filled their 9,000-capacity ground.
Riveiro said the match on Saturday, apart from the “amazing atmosphere”, was boring.
“The start of the game was played in a rhythm that we did not expect. I think it was quite boring, to be honest.”
He said he thought it was a nil-nil game.
“It was boring. There was one isolated bit of action and they managed to score a beautiful goal and we couldn’t respond,” he said.
Next for Pirates is the MTN8 final against AmaZulu on Saturday with Riveiro going for his first-ever trophy as a head coach.
Winning the MTN8, just five months after arriving in South Africa, would also mark a commendable maiden PSL season for the Spaniard.
Image source @Orlando Pirates FC
