JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 31: Jose Riveiro, head coach of Orlando Pirates during the MTN8, Semi Final, 2nd Leg match between Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City FC at Orlando Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Alche Greeff/Gallo Images)
Cup specialist, Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro showed his hand how he managed to reach his fifth final.
Riveiro reached his fifth cup final at the Buccaneers in just over two seasons after the Soweto giants beat Cape Town City 3-1 in the MTN8 semi-finals on aggregate.
Pirates have scored almost similar goals throughout the MTN8, as a deeper analysis has shown that the Spanish coach outclassed Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport United and Eric Tinkler’s Citizens on set-pieces.
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In the MTN8 quarter-finals, after beating SuperSport 3-1 in extra-time, Ezimnyama scored two goals via set plays.
Olisa Ndah scored the opener for Pirates against United on the stroke of half-time with an exquisite backheel in front of the goal-line, following a short corner after Monnapule Saleng turned his marker inside, out and played a square pass.
The Buccaneers profited from another set-piece early in extra-time after Patrick Maswanganyi played Kabelo Dlamini through on goal on the left channel from a deadball routine and Dlamini played a square pass to Saleng, who had an easy tap-in.
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After a 1-1 draw against City in the semi-final first-leg, what made the difference in the second-leg, was set-pieces, as both goals in a 2-0 victory at Orlando Stadium came from set plays.
With 25 minutes on the clock, Mabasa broke the deadlock for the Buccaneers with a header from a short corner, after Saleng teed up Relebohile Mofokeng, who played a teasing cross into the head of the former Bloemfontein Celtic striker.
Just before half-time, a set-piece routine caught City goalkeeper Darren Keet off guard, as it appeared Mofokeng was going to take the free-kick but instead, it was Deon Hotto, who curled his effort beneath the crossbar.
Ezimnyama continued where they left off in the Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns last season, as Mofokeng’s winner in added time, came via a set-piece that released the 19-year-old to turn on the magic inside the box.
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