Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says he was "surprised" by the level of Venda Football Academy in the Nedbank Cup and complimented them for their bravery.
Pirates were given a run for their money by Motsepe Foundation Championship side Venda, as they needed a late winner by Thembinkosi Lorch in extra time to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
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Riveiro says he was caught by surprise of their tactical flexibility and how they rose to the occasion.
"The opponent surprised me a bit, I expected resistance but not the way they did it. They played different compared to the way they have been playing recently in their league," Riveiro said in a press conference.
"But its a typical situation that I have not experienced but also have the opportunity to see in the knockout games here. The players have quality, even in the First Division.
"The technical level is high so when they feel no pressure, because whatever they do it's gonna be great, you have a chance to play against Pirates, let's do it in the nice way," he said.
The Spanish mentor continued and explained that although Venda made them suffer, he was happy to see their bravery and the team will grow faster from those type of matches, where they are pushed to the limit.
"Even though I suffer but I'm glad to see the way they played, how brave they were. I take both games (as) part of our learning process," he went on.
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"I said to the guys (players) that I'm a very optimistic person, I think these types of games and struggles and fights are going to be the important part of our journey together.
"Teams always grow quicker in difficult situations like what we experienced (against Venda). We as a group and the fans, understanding that it's very difficult to win a football game, it's a fact and we need to appreciate every victory," he added.
The Buccaneers will resume their programme when they host rivals for second spot in the DStv Premiership, SuperSport United on Saturday.
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