Head coach Jose Riveiro has dissected the difference between his side's hot-and-cold league performances and the ruthless precision in knockout competitions as Orlando Pirates bulldozed past AmaZulu in the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup.
The Buccaneers booked their tickets to the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup with a 4-2 beating of Usuthu at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates’ goals came from Makhehlene Makhaula, Kabelo Dlamini and a brace from Patrick Maswanganyi. Pule Ekstein and Taariq Fielies scored for AmaZulu.
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It’s the second straight season that the Sea Robbers are in the semi-finals of the cup competition and are well on track to defend their Nedbank Cup title.
Should the Buccaneers go all the way, it will be a fourth trophy for Riveiro, who has already lifted the MTN8 title back-to-back.
The impressive form has raised question marks of Bucs’ hot and cold league form, where the Soweto giants have won just two of their last five matches.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Riveiro went into detail about why his side excels in cup competitions.
"I think again these games are slightly – well not slightly no- there is a big difference, in my opinion, in these games because it’s today or never, in my opinion. It’s not even a cup tournament where you play two legs," Riveiro said.
"We will [either] have a good day today or we are out, so there is no room to relax.
"In the cup usually to start the game with this [high] rhythm, succeeding or not, capitalising or not and in the league sometimes it’s not like that.
"I think we as a group, in the recent games, finally found a way to get rid of one of the obstacles that we
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