Chippa suffer defeat in Bloemfontein

Kabelo Dlamini of Bloemfontein Celtic and Jabulani Shongwe of Chippa United during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 game between Bloemfontein Celtic and Chippa United at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on 5 August 2018 © Frikkie Kapp/BackpagePix

by Graeme Jackson

Sunday Aug 05, 2018. 16:56

Chippa United’s 2018/19 Absa Premiership season is off to a losing start after they went down 2-0 at the hands of Bloemfontein Celtic at the Dr Molemela Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Chilli Boys were hoping to get out of the blocks quickly under the tenure of returning coach Dan Malesela, but Phunya Sele Sele ensured otherwise thanks to goals from Tebogo Potsane and Tshegofatso Mabaso.

The teams traded early chances through Lantshene Phalane (for Celtic) and Kurt Lentjies (Chippa), though neither troubled the respective goalkeepers Patrick Tignyemb and Daniel Akpeyi.

The Chilli Boys enjoyed most of the possession through the first half, though they did suffer a blow in midfield when they were forced to replace Boikanyo Komane with Thamsanqa Sangweni 10 minutes before the interval.

Against the run of play, Phunya Sele Sele opened the scoring in the 41st minute. Tebogo Potsane scored a superb goal on debut for the Bloemfontein side and ensured they held a 1-0 lead heading into the half-time break.

Chippa looked to hit back early in the second stanza as Jabulani Shongwe lined-up a long-range shot but failed to hit the target, while Celtic’s Ronald Pfumbidzai was guilty of the same thing in the 50th minute.

But six minutes later Celtic’s Tshegofatso Mabaso had his shooting boots on as he converted a penalty to make it 2-0 to the hosts. The spot kick had been won by Mabaso himself, drawing a clumsy foul from Thabo Nthethe.

Chippa responded by sending on the likes of Daine Klate and Xolani Maholo, but it was Celtic who looked the likelier scorers for a spell and Ndumiso Mabena sent a shot wide of the mark in the 74th minute as they looked to end the game as a contest.

Both Celtic and Chippa will be in league action again on Wednesday: the former is away to Golden Arrows in Durban, while the latter welcome Orlando Pirates to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Bloemfontein Celtic (1) 2 (Potsane 41’, Mabaso 56’ pen)
Chippa United 0

Celtic: Tignyemb, Rikhotso (Sam 73’), Ndengane, Gordino, Pfumbidzai, Potsane (Masuku 68’), Phalane, Mashikinya, Dlamini, Mabena, Mabaso (Letsoalo 60’)

Chippa: Akpeyi, Tlolane, Nthethe, Nsabiyumva, Makobela, Mbokoma (Klate 60’), Komane (Sangweni 36’), Mbenyane, Shongwe (Maholo 61’), Mayambela, Lentjies