With Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso having shared his displeasure about the state of the Loftus Versfeld pitch, his Orlando Pirates counterpart Jose Riveiro has downplayed the issue as a contributing factor to their loss.
Pirates were on the receiving end of a 4-1 hammering by Sundowns, who put up a flawless display to remind all and sundry of their intentions to win an eighth consecutive league title on Saturday.
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However, the less pleasant aspect of the encounter was the state of the surface, with players slipping all over, before some got the opportunity to change boots during the water break on the half-hour mark.
That said, The Brazilians seemed to have dealt better with the conditions than the Soweto giants on the day.
Asked to comment on the matter, Riveiro called on the journalists present at the press conference to make their own assessment.
"Whatever I say about the pitch, it's going to make headlines on social media, and I don't want to give you that chance to try to show you that I am trying to justify what happened on the field," he maintained.
"It was the same field for Sundowns.
"Remember what I said before [in the same press conference], I think they managed to find a way to win the game despite the circumstances that the game was played in.
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"Now you have a job as a journalist as you were watching the match. But at the same time, I have to say that I am sure Sundowns were also not happy to play in that field," added the Spaniard, who has now moved on to preparing for Saturday's Nedbank Cup Last 16 match against Baroka FC at Orlando Stadium.