Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says his team would be in a ‘nice place’ if they manage to secure seven points from their first three CAF Champions League group stage games.
Pirates have already amassed four points from two tough matches following a 2-1 win over CR Belouizdad of Algeria and a goalless draw with Egyptian giants and defending champions Al Ahly.
The Buccaneers now head to Ivory Coast to face Stade d’Abidjan on Saturday December 14 and the Spanish mentor is keeping hope alive that they can secure maximum points which would be a huge advantage in their Champions League aspirations.
What is giving Riveiro confidence?
“It’s an away game, they didn’t get a good result in the first game in Cairo, but you can see the type of team they are, we managed to see they have multiple [videos], they are quite rigid, tactically,” Riveiro said as per iDiski Times.
“And for sure an away game is going to be tough, it’s going to be difficult but I’m optimistic. I'm looking at the future like an opportunity for us to fight for three points and imagine if we do it?
“To find ourselves in the third game of the group stage with those points [seven] it will be nice, but we know we have to work so hard to make it possible like we did in Algeria, like we did [against Al Ahly] but still everything to play [for] in this group.”
Pirates have started group action well
What is giving Riveiro confidence is the performance of his players so far given they lack Champions League experience, having last featured at the group stage in 2019.
Stade d’Abidjan appear to be the weak team in Group C after suffering a 4-2 loss to Al Ahly on matchday one before 1-0 defeat to CR Belouizdad last weekend.
Pirates will be further motivated to learn that they will be playing at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny where they beat ASEC Mimosas on their way to the 1995 Champions League title.
