Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says playing beautiful football is not important in the Champions League

Orlando Pirates are 90 minutes away from rewriting history. With one foot already in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, the Sea Robbers return to the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night looking to finish the job against MC Alger – and take another giant stride towards continental glory. (6pm kick-off).

Coach Jose Riveiro and his charges secured what was arguably their most impressive win of the tournament so far during the first leg tie against El Mouloudia, having had to absorb significant pressure, particularly in the first half, with the home side attacking from all angles in front of a packed July 5 1962 Stadium last Tuesday.

Having gained a crucial 1-0 aggregate lead thanks to an all-important away goal from the boot of Mohau Nkota, they are now ne step away from reaching their first semi-final in over 12 years. Riveiro stated that they will continue to rely on what has worked for them throughout the competition.

“We believe that we can win,” Riveiro said, during his pre-match press conference.

“We have a chance to approach the game with the intention to win, without thinking too much about what happened a week ago in Algeria.

“It’s true that we have a slight advantage with the goal we scored, but we must focus on the reasons we are still alive in this competition. It’s about the way we want to play football, our character, and the way the lads express themselves.

"We don’t want to be a different team from the one we’ve been so far. That is the only thing on our minds.”

The Pirates' mentor is set to leave the club at the end of the season, and despite the growing attention surrounding his imminent departure, the Spanish coach has insisted that his full focus remains on ending the campaign strongly.

The Buccaneers emerged from the group stages unbeaten, and following their impressive defensive display away to Alger, they go into this encounter brimming with confidence.

Pirates last reached the semi-finals of this competition in the 2012/13 season, when they went all the way to the final before losing to Al Ahly 3-1 on aggregate.

Riveiro added that his side must continue to be adaptable and clinical in their execution, depending on the different match situations they face, in order to achieve further success.

“This competition is not about making it look beautiful,” Riveiro continued. “It’s about winning, digging deep in every phase of the game, and being better than the opponent.

“I’d say there are three, four, or even five different games you have to play within the 90 minutes, each with different scenarios and challenges. We’re talking about the quarter-finals, and you have to accept that there will be moments when the opposition dominates – and in those moments, you have to be better than them.

“We’ve faced those moments, and the team is confident because we know we are capable of managing them effectively. We have a massive game tomorrow that demands our full concentration and the best of our abilities as the technical team.

"We need to be 100% focused – there’s no room to think about anything else but giving our best.”