Falling behind Mamelodi Sundowns in the league title race after being the early season leaders was no immediate cause for concern, insisted Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro after his side lost to Cape Town City on Wednesday.
The match at the Cape Town Stadium presented Pirates with an opportunity to go top of the Betway Premiership if they had won, albeit on goal difference only from the defending champions.
But their 1-0 defeat means they are three adrift of Sundowns, with both teams having played 11 games.
“These are three points that we cannot get anymore, but we can get the next ones. We are in January, 11 games played. Have you counted the amount of points still to play and to fight for, so there's no drama,” he told reporters after the game.
Riveiro felt it was an encounter his side should have won.
“It is a difficult game to explain honestly, honesty, 1-0, three points for the Cape Town City, but I don't even know how to describe what happened tonight.
"There was so much difference between both teams. It was a game that we should have put to bed nice and early in the first half, we had many, many, many chances, clear ones, many box entries, ball under control in the box with all the time in the world to finish the actions – both in the first half and in the second half,” he said.
“But was not definitely our day. Maybe it was one of those games that you finish 0-0 and you say, ‘hard luck’, but it was even more difficult to swallow with the way that we conceded one goal.
“So, yeah, a tough game to assimilate, to understand, but at the same time, I'm extremely proud of these boys, the way they are. pushing and playing football and the determination that they have in their way to approach the games.
"It's making me feel even though … of course, I'm not happy with the result … but it's a winning performance, but we couldn't capitalise on what we created,” Riveiro added.