Jose Riveiro Explains Why Pirates Lost to Pyramids in CAF Champions League

• Jose Riveiro has commended his Orlando Pirates squad for a fantastic season, calling their overall performance “second to none" after their loss to Pyramid FC in the CAF Champions League
• The Spanish tactician was unable to guide the Soweto giants to the final of the prestigious Africa club competition as they were knocked out in the semi-final stage
• The Buccaneers head coach explained why his team lost to the Egyptian giants despite taking the lead twice in the return leg in Cairo

Spanish tactician Jose Riveiro was hoping to end his reign at Orlando Pirates with a CAF Champions League trophy, but the dream ended after a 3-2 defeat against Pyramids FC in the return leg of the semi-finals.

Congolese striker Fiston Mayele scored a brace, with his late winner cancelling out Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota's goals, as the Egyptian side booked a place in the final.

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The Sea Robbers missed the chance to make it an all-South African final, as Mamelodi Sundowns earlier secured a spot after defeating Al Ahly on the away goals rule.

Pyramids FC will be playing in their first CAF Champions League final, while the Brazilians are aiming for another title after winning it in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane's leadership.

Riveiro reacts to Pirates' loss against Pyramids

In an interview with SABC Sport, Riveiro shared his thoughts on the match while congratulating his players for an outstanding season.

"First of all, congratulations to our players for an outstanding season," Riveiro told SABC after the match.

"Their performances have been exceptional, truly second to none, and they made our fans proud. It's tough to accept — this was our first loss in the entire tournament, and unfortunately, it comes at the worst possible time. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. We’ll need some time to process this because the result feels incredibly cruel."

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Riveiro breaks down what went wrong against Pyramids

The Spanish mentor went on to explain what went wrong and the things Pirates didn’t do right in the match that led to their defeat.

"We played a fantastic game — a top-level performance away from home against a very strong team. But we lost control during two key moments. Each time we took the lead, they equalised almost immediately. That made it hard to build momentum or apply pressure," he added.

"The turning point was not being able to stay ahead longer and create more doubt in their minds. And in the final moments, one well-executed set-piece sent them through to the final. It’s a painful way to go out, but at the same time, we leave the competition with our heads held high — there’s pride in the way we fought."

Pirates sign South African winger to compete with Mofokeng

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Briefly News also reported that Pirates have signed a South African winger who is set to compete with Relebohile Mofokeng for his spot on the wings.

The young forward reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Sea Robbers after his impressive performance in a competition set up by the Bus.

Source: Briefly News