Riveiro prays Downs and Bucs meet again in CAF and Cup final

While Sundowns still have to beat Sekhukhune to book their spot in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal to book a date with Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates are already there and will take on Marumo Gallants at home.

“Hopefully this is not the last time that we meet this season, we still have the opportunity to meet again in two competitions and if that happens, it’s going to be really good news for SA football. So I am happy with the development of the team today for our young players … imagine what this type of game means to Mbokazi, Nkotha, Rele and Radiopane … it’s so good. There’s a lot of positive components in this game.”

Pirates beat Sundowns 2-1, thanks to 20-year-old Mofokeng’s lightning-fast brace inside the first five minutes, at FNB Stadium on Sunday. The result helped second-placed Pirates to cut the gap between them and leaders Sundowns to 15 points while they still have four games in hand. Nkotha, 20, played the last 13 minutes.

Mbokazi, 19, who was starting only his fourth game in the top-flight, was voted Man of the Match after doing a stellar job in keeping the ever-unplayable Sundowns attacker Lucas Ribeiro at bay. Radiopane, 22, also played the last 13 minutes after replacing Evidence Makgopa in what was only his fifth league game of the season.

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