Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has acknowledged the unique challenge of facing Kaizer Chiefs in two consecutive weeks but pointed out that this is a hurdle both teams must overcome.

He emphasized that it’s not something they can dwell on, as Amakhosi face the exact same situation.

Pirates are set to clash with Chiefs in the sold-out Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon, a match that saw tickets sell out in 90 minutes, the quickest this has ever happened in the PSL.

This encounter marks the second time these two Soweto giants will meet in quick succession, following their league match at FNB Stadium just last weekend, where Pirates emerged victorious.

“There is no difficulty, we have to do it,” Riveiro stated matter-of-factly.

“There is no time to think about it. We played Golden Arrows on Tuesday, and we have to play them again next week [Tuesday]. We played Chiefs one week ago, and now we have to play them in the final. It’s fine. As long as we have games to play and things to play for, we are happy. If it’s a difficulty, it’s equally difficult for our opponents as well. So, there are no excuses.”

Riveiro boasts an unblemished record in the Nedbank Cup, having secured 14 consecutive victories since his arrival at Pirates in June 2022.

As the season draws to a close, he will aim to maintain this impressive record, having already led the club to five trophies in nearly three seasons. These accolades include two Nedbank Cup triumphs in the last two seasons and three consecutive MTN8 titles, all won at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, including this season’s victory.

When asked about where Saturday’s final would be decided, Riveiro stressed the importance of not allowing Chiefs to gain an early advantage.

Statistical analysis this season reveals that Chiefs have a stronger goal-scoring record in the opening 30 minutes of matches, contrasting with Pirates, who have a 55 percent goal-scoring ratio from the 30-minute mark onwards.

“I wish I knew where,” Riveiro responded. “But it is true that we need to have a better beginning to the game this time. Last week at FNB Stadium, we conceded too much of an advantage to Chiefs early on. So, this time, we need to ensure we are in a better space from the kickoff, that we approach things with more determination so we can steer the game into the areas where we want it to be early in the first half.

“That is probably the aspect we need to improve. Like I said, in 90 minutes, you play six or seven different games, and we have to be better than our opponents across those phases.”