UKUFAKA inkanyezi yesibili ejezini le-Orlando Pirates yikhona kuphela okwamanje okubukeka kungapholisa izinhliziyo zabalandeli baleli qembu njengoba isithandwa sabo somqeqeshi waseSpain, uJose Riveiro, kuvela ukuthi siphindela ekhaya ekupheleni kwesizini.
IPirates eyavulela amaqembu aseNingizimu ne-Afrika ngokudla isicoco seCaf Champions League ngo-1995, isethubeni lokwengeza inkanyezi yesibili kulo mqhudelwano ekhombisa ifomu enhle kuwona kwazise kweyamaqoqo ibiqhobozela kwasani.
Namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku eStade du 5 Julliet, uRiveiro uzozama ukubuya nomphumela oncomekayo njengoba eyodlala kowomlenze wokuqala neMC Alger yase-Algeria.
Ukuvuthwa kwePirates kweyamaqoqo, kuyinike ithuba lokuwuqala ekuhambeni owe-quarterfinal. Umdlalo womlenze wesibili uzoba ngo-Ephreli 9 e-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto. Ukuwina lo mqhudelwano kukaRiveiro kungaba ngenye yezindlela zokupholisa ubuhlungu kubalandeli bePirates abangase bapheshukelwe yilo mqeqeshi engakavuselelwa inkontileka yakhe.
Ngaphandle kukaRoger De Sa owayifaka kowamanqamu weChampions League ngo-2013, eminyakeni edlule iPirates ibilokhu ibuka iMamelodi Sundowns ikhula minyaka yonke kulo mqhudelwano ohlonishwayo ebholeni lase-Afrika. ISundowns iwine iChampions League ngo-2016 iphekwa uPitso Mosimane.
Njengoba eyokuphelelwa yinkontileka kukaRiveiro isematheni kulezi zinsuku, mhlawumbe ukubawinela lesi sicoco kungathoba izinhliziyo zabePirates kwazise akaconsi phansi kubona lo mqeqeshi.
KwiCaf Confederation Cup, iPirates isifike amahlandla amabili ngokwahlukana ngaphansi kuka-Eric Tinkler ngo-2015 noJosef Zinnbauer ngo-2021.
Kusukela uRiveiro afika kwiPirates ngo-2022, useyiwinele i-MTN 8 amahlandla amathathu neNedbank Cup aseyidle kabili. Unethuba lokuyiphinda okwesithathu iKe Yona kwazise usedlulele kowandulela owamanqamu azowudlala neMarumo Gallants.
Kuningi okwenze uRiveiro waphenduka isithandwa sabalandeli kule minyaka aseyihlale kweZimnyama njengokuqeda endaweni yesibili amahlandla amabili kwi-log yeBetway Premiership Ungumqeqeshi onogazi futhi okholelwayo ekusebenzeleni ibheji lePirates. Lokhu kumsondeze kakhulu kubalandeli. Yingakho kugxabha izisu kwabanye uma bekhumbula ukuthi inkontileka yakhe iyaphela ngoJuni 30.
Ngaphansi kukaRiveiro, iPirates isishaya ngenqwaba yabadlali abasebancane esikimini esikhulu okukhona kubona uRelebohile Mofokeng osedlala kwiBafana Bafana. Lokhu bekungenzeki kwabanye abaqeqeshi phambilini. Nakuba kuvela ukuthi izinkinga zomndeni ziyaphoqa ukuthi aphindele ekhaya kodwa akubuzwa ukuthi ukuwina iChampions League kungazesula izinyembezi zabalandeli abakhihla esikaNandi ngokuhamba kwakhe.