Why did Jose Riveiro risk fielding six academy players in the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs? - 'It is not about the age'

Coach Jose Riveiro gave a chance to six Orlando Pirates graduates to taste the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs.

Apart from regulars Mohau Nkota, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Relebohile Mofokeng, the Spaniard gave a chance to Boitumelo Radiopane, Siyabonga Ndlozi and Simphiwe Selepe to experience the electric atmosphere at the FNB Stadium.

Bucs eventually won the game 2-1, and the tactician has explained why he played them against Amakhosi.

“We are proud of them. It’s about me putting them on the field, but it’s because they are showing every week that they want to get the opportunity, they are prepared," he told the media.

"You will never be fully prepared until you get the experience. But like I said many, many times, it’s not about the age, it’s about the talent, and it’s about giving them the confidence. If they feel that we trust them, it’s going to give them a very important boost.

“I said already many times, what you get from the academy players is something that you cannot get from anybody else. They have something special; they used to look at the club in a different way. They spent some time around the team before, first as a ball boy, playing for DDC, coming to our training, little by little absorbing the culture of that team," Riveiro stated.

“And when they are ready to go, they will give you something special, identity. All of those things play an important role in football. And I think the club, because like I said many times, this is not Riveiro vision, this is Orlando Pirates, is doing a good job in that sense.

“My job as a coach is to give them tools to do the things well, together with the technical stuff, and that’s what we do, and when things are going well, like [on Saturday], you can imagine that the feeling for all of us is something special," he concluded.

Just like Nkota, Mofokeng, and Mbokazi, the other youngsters have what it takes to get a chance to represent the senior team consistently.

Getting recognition in the team of Bucs' caliber means they must have special talent to be considered for bigger assignments.

With a few games remaining to end the season, it is interesting to see whether the outgoing tactician will give them a chance, starting with the game against Golden Arrows on Tuesday.

The biggest assignment for them, if given a chance, will be on Saturday against Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup's Soweto Derby final.

While Bucs are hoping to win it for the third time in a row, Amakhosi are chasing silverware to end their decade-long drought.