Clinton Larsen’s return to Orlando Stadium was that of a man on a mission to teach a lesson: that football is not a game of forgone conclusions.
The former Orlando Pirates midfielder, now coach of Premier Soccer League debutants Magesi FC, masterminded a massive upset which saw his unfancied side send shockwaves that reverberated right across the crossbones and straight to the skull.
The 2-3 result, a rare defeat for Pirates, knocked the lights of the high riding Sea Robbers, drowning The Ghost — still hung over from the MTN8 threepeat cup glory — in gallons of Carling beer in Knockout Cup competition.
It was a classic David vs Goliath clash. High flying giants Pirates were expected to crush top-flight debutants on a pitch on which before yesterday’s dressing down, the hosts had harvested victories in all competitions, turning it into a fortress where even angels fear to thread.
But as it turned out, the small dog had both the loud bark and a big bite. It was a rude awakening for Jose Riveiro’s men, a wound that should serve as a reminder to his galaxy of stars that they have to shake the curse of stumbling when they come up against lesser lights.
Last season they gave a hapless Cape Town Spurs a maiden win of the campaign in November in a 2-1 victory at a misty Cape Town Stadium, and held Bucs to a 1-1 stalemate in Orlando.
There was a repeat of the script when Pirates lost to Richards Bay, first in the Carling Knockout in November (5-4 on penalties) following a goalless 90 minutes and extra time at Moses Mabhida Stadium. In May, the Natal Rich Boyz struck Pirates with a solitary goal in Orlando.
Six months later, Bay upset Bucs 1-0 in the league’s second round at Orlando Stadium. The common denominator in those struggles? Both Spurs and Bay were battling against relegation. The former failed in the bid to escape the axe while the latter survived by the skin of their teeth, thanks to claiming the scalp of Pirates.
When I interviewed Riveiro on my BBK Unplugged podcast, he was at pains to explain that his biggest bugbear was that smaller teams were able to steal points from his beloved Bucs. “It’s about making sure when you travel to a team struggling in the league, or they come to you, they won’t get one point or three points against Pirates. No. It’s about the capacity to replicate our best performance, not only in the cup competitions. Sometimes we have our bad days in spaces where we’re not supposed to,” said Riveiro in our podcast powwow.
Those defeats and draws in the league were damaging results as they punctured Pirates’ drive to close the gap on Mamelodi Sundowns and prolonged their pursuit of a first domestic championship in 12 years.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for Pirates to be brought back down to earth by plucky minnows who resisted a second-half effort by a resurgent Pirates to right the wrongs of a disastrous first half.
Considering that they want to make a mark on the Confederation of African Football Champions League front, Bucs better be prepared to shape up or brace themselves for an early ship out. Their opponents are made of much more sterner stuff than the PSL newcomers and will not allow Pirates space to breathe once they’ve got them by the scruff of the neck.
Current holders Al Ahly, who are the most successful club in the history of the competition, will certainly be no pushovers. The club of the century, which is home to Percy Tau, are looking for their 13th crown to add to their impressive premier inter-club collection.
Algeria’s Chabab Belouizdad and Stade d’Abidjan of Côte d’Ivoire complete Group C challengers Bucs will have to navigate to reach the knockout stage of a competition Riveiro will be making a bow on.
Those three will not be in awe of their opponents. There will be no room for error. Riveiro’s men must heed the lesson from Larsen.
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