Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has heaped praise on his squad after a laboured 1-0 win over MC Alger in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League.
Bucs secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the first leg of the tie against Algerian giants MC Alger on Tuesday.
Mohau Nkota delivered the killer blow on the home side in front of a sell-out crowd, against an opponent that enjoyed overall ball possession of 69%.
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The hosts also had five shots at goal, while Pirates managed a single shot on target.
Speaking to media after the match, Riveiro said he was proud of the fighting spirit shown by his squad.
"It's a good way to start the quarterfinals. Coming here to play MC Alger, in their home ground, the atmosphere, you know, everything is clearly against us to get good results and I'm so proud of the way the players applied themselves to really fight for this one.
"It was not easy because, as I said, the opponent is especially good here at home. They play with a decent speed. It's a good way to start for us. To score a goal away from home in this competition is something very important.
"But still we have to play another 90 minutes in Orlando.
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"It's a really positive way to start for us. We knew that we are coming back here tonight to suffer, to probably not be the team that we are used to being when we are on the ball, when we play in our domestic competition. The Champions League is a different story," added the gaffer who is of Spanish descent.
"Especially when you play away from home; SO we were a little more pragmatic in the way we played. Especially with our three centre-backs."