“We are going to be tested at a very high level,” says Riveiro.
Orlando Pirates will host Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in what is expected to be a thrilling CAF Champions League group clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday (kick-off is at 3pm).
Having collected maximum points in their opening Group C matches, both teams will be looking to get a win in this encounter, not only to take a three-point lead but to also increase their chances of reaching the next round of the competition.
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Pirates earned a hard-fought 2-1 away victory against CR Belouizdad, while Al-Ahly hammered Stade d’Abidjan 4-2. As a result, the Red Devils currently lead the group standings on goal difference.
With Pirates having had the whole week to prepare for the Al-Ahly game, coach Jose Riveiro says they won’t have any excuses not to come out with a positive result against the defending champions.
“We are going to be tested at a very high level and we will face the week with a good attitude, and motivation, to offer a good performance on Saturday here (Orlando) against Al-Ahly.
“Having those days with the possibility to rest, I think it’s giving an extra [chance] to make sure that there are no excuses, that on Saturday we can be at the level the competition requires and the questions the opponent will ask,” said the Spaniard.
Head-to-head statistics favour Pirates going into this encounter on Saturday. In the six encounters between the sides, the Buccaneers have claimed three wins, with two draws, while Al-Ahly have managed just one victory, but it was a significant one at that, which was in the two-legged final in 2013.
After a 1-1 stalemate in a dramatic first-leg final clash in Orlando, the Red Devils beat Pirates 2-0 in the second leg to claim the title and end the Buccaneers’ dream of lifting it for the second time having done so in 1995.
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Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau is part of the Al-Ahly squad that will travel to South Africa to face Pirates. Tau, whose future remains unclear at the club, is facing one of the toughest seasons in Egypt as he is no longer a regular starter at Al-Ahly.
As a result, Tau has lost his place in Hugo Broos’ Bafana squad.
