Playing at the bottom of the division, one might have assumed that the Orlando Pirates coach would look to rotate his squad and give fringe players a chance to play when they take on the All Stars in the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup, but the Bucs coach did not. rotation fan.
READ ALSO: Pirates do not take their All Stars Cup opponents lightly
Pirates will play Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) side at Wits Stadium on Saturday evening.
One of the definite changes for Pirates, is captain Innocent Maela, who is suspended for the match due to several yellow cards he has collected.
“We don’t play, we don’t play players, I explained before. We have a big squad with quality and every week starts with a different scenario. Players are suspended, players are injured, different opportunities because of the way the opponents play and the moments of our players,” said the mentor Bucs.
“So, if I change two, three, four players on Saturday, it’s not because we play, but there are some needs. For example, Innocent will not be part of the squad, so it’s one change but not a rotation.
However, having said all that, there are likely to be many changes in Riveiro’s team going into the All Stars, especially with the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch returning from injury, while new signings Makhehleni Makhaula and Souaibou Marou are itching for game time. .
Meanwhile, All Stars head coach Siyethemba Badela said his charges are excited about the game against Pirates, and some players like Thabiso Sesane and Ephrahim Mothibedi have a history with their opponents.
READ ALSO: All Stars are ready to fight Pirates
“Immediately after the draw, there was a lot of buzz in the dressing room and in training because we have a lot of players who have a history with the club, there was a lot of excitement. We had a chance to see the opposition,” said Badela.