CAFCL: Orlando Pirates exit to Pyramids ‘tough to swallow and digest’ – Riveiro

Photo Credit - Orlando Pirates Football Club.

Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has admitted the South African club have found it difficult to digest and swallow their exit from the CAF Champions League after going down 3-2 to Pyramids FC in a pulsating semi-final second-leg clash at 30 June Stadium on Friday.

Having played out to a 0-0 draw in the opening leg at FNB Stadium, Pirates bowed out of the competition as their unbeaten run came to an end in the cruelest manner on their return to the Egyptian capital. Meanwhile, their opponents qualified for their first ever Champions League final after maintaining the impressive home record they kept throughout the campaign.

Pirates took the lead in the 41st minute when Relebohile Mofokeng found the back of the net off a cross from Deon Hotto but Fiston Mayele drew Pyramids level for a 1-1 outcome in the first half.

Pirates retook the lead in the 52nd minute courtesy of Mohau Nkota but substitute Ramadan Sobhi made it 2-2 five minutes later. With extra time looming, Mayele struck again - this time in the 84th minute - clinching the tie for Pyramids FC and booking their ticket to the final with a 3-2 aggregate win.

“Congratulations Pyramids for going to the final, second also congratulations to our players, to our group for the fantastic performance that they gave, they gave to our fans during this season, it is been a performance second to none, honestly,” Riveiro said after the game.

“We are out of the competition today after losing our first match in the whole tournament, a tough one to swallow, a tough one to digest, we will need a little bit of time, because I think it is a cruel result, we played a really good game, top performance away from home, against an excellent team but we couldn’t manage to control two moments of the game.

“We got the lead two times and they managed to equalize almost immediately after our goals and that was probably the key because we couldn’t make to lead the game a little bit more longer to create uncertainty to the opponent, and in the end of the game, when the game was about to die, one set play, and well executed, took them to the final.

“It is a mix of pride and sadness at the same time, we are getting out of the competition but we do it in good way, or in a way that all of us have to feel proud about our performances throughout the competition.”

Pirates will now shift their focus to winning the domestic Nedbank Cup where they will face Kaizer Chiefs in the final on May 10.