Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro has admitted that his team was second-best in key moments during their 3-2 defeat to Magesi FC in the round of 16 in the Carling Knockout Cup at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. 

Despite a spirited second-half fightback, the Buccaneers were unable to overcome a 3-0 halftime deficit, ultimately crashing out of the competition.

Speaking after the match, Riveiro struggled to explain how Pirates found themselves down 2-0 in the first half despite not playing poorly.

“It’s difficult to explain. I think we were not bad in the first half losing the game 2-0 from nowhere, but this is a scoring game—no excuses. The opponent was better than us in that aspect. They managed to get a two-goal lead, and then it was 3-0 at halftime,” he said via SABCSport.

Magesi’s sharp finishing left Pirates with a mountain to climb after the break, and despite a determined push in the second half that saw them score two late goals, Riveiro acknowledged that the early deficit was too much to overcome.

“It was difficult, we tried until the end. We showed that we didn’t think it was game over, but it was not enough. We were close, really close, but it’s difficult to win a game when you’re losing 3-0—let’s be honest,” he added.

When asked about his halftime message to his players, Riveiro emphasized the importance of taking responsibility and fighting for pride in front of their home fans.

“Not much, I think we were all responsible, knowing that it was not the best scenario to find ourselves 3-0 down at halftime. Accept it and understand that we have 45 minutes to give our all. We are playing at home, our fans are here—it’s not the picture that we want to show,” he explained.

With Pirates now out of the Carling Knockout, Riveiro’s focus shifts to their next fixture. Despite the disappointment of the defeat, the Spanish tactician was quick to turn his attention to the future, insisting that his side must regroup and move on quickly.

“Nothing special, we have to analyze what happened and regroup again. We have a game in three days, so there’s no time to feel sorry. We have to come back stronger,” he concluded.

For Riveiro and his Pirates squad, the task now is to learn from the setback and bounce back, with their next fixture against AmaZulu offering an opportunity to return to winning ways.