Celtic put brakes on Chiefs, deny them chance to go nine points clear
Kaizer Chiefs' mission to go nine points clear at the top of the Absa Premiership standings suffered a major setback when Bloemfontein Celtic came from behind to claim a 3-1 win at Tuks Stadium on Wednesday night.
Sera Motebang of Bloemfontein Celtic celebrates a goal. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix.
With Sundowns having lost the previous day allowing Amakhosi to go six points clear, Ernst Middendorp’s side had a chance to really strengthen their chances of clinching the title by widening the gap.
Celtic got off to a good start and could have opened the scoring very early when Wandisile Letlabika tested Daniel Akpeyi’s alertness with a long range shot in the fourth minute. But he found the keeper switched on as he tipped the effort over.
A few minutes later, Victor Letsoalo also had a shot from just outside the box but Akpeyi dived low to his right to guide it off his goal.
Amakhosi were awarded a free kick just outside the Celtic box in the 12th minute when their keeper Sipho Chaine stepped outside of his area with the ball in hand, but a misunderstanding between Bernard Parker and Khama Billiat saw the chance wasted as it was easily cleared away.
Chiefs came close to an opener in the 23rd minute but Chaine pushed Leonardo Castro’s header away. Chaine went on to make a few other saves but was finally beaten in the 35th minute when Erick Mathoho rose highest to drive his header past the keeper from a Lebogang Manyama corner kick.
The lead was not long though as with two minutes to the break, Phunya Sele Sele had a chance to draw level but Letsoalo’s long range effort went wide. A minute later, they drew level when Motebang Sera was left with the easiest job of deflecting the ball into the net from Sifiso Ngobeni’s cross inside the Amakhosi box.
Just after the break, Samir Nurkovic looked to get his team’s second with a long range effort but hit the crossbar. And immediately after that, Sera completed his brace after he was again left unguarded in the Amakhosi box and easily slotted it in to make it 2-1 to the home side.
And just as Amakhosi were looking for a way back into the game, Celtic made in 3-1 when Letsoalo finally found the back of the net in the 74th minute.
Chiefs’ closest chasers, Mamelodi Sundowns will be happy with the result which leaves the title race open.
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