Celtic edge Leopards in Thohyandou

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Sep 16, 2018. 17:14

Bloemfontein Celtic beat Black Leopards 1-0 in an Absa Premiership clash at Thohoyandou Stadium on Sunday afternoon to extend their unbeaten start to the league season.

Siwelele have now registered four wins from five matches, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The Free State club are level on 13 points with Bidvest Wits atop the league standings.

Tshegofatso Mabasa got the visitors off to the perfect start with 10 minutes on the clock. Ndumiso Mabena latched onto a hopeful ball forward before teeing up his attack partner who made no mistake with his finish to silence the home crowd.

Spurred on by thousands gathered at Thohoyandou Stadium, in what was their first game of the season at the refurbished ground, Leopards went in search of an immediate reply.

Patrick Tignyemb, though, proved a hard man to beat with the Celtic goalkeeper keeping out Mwape Musonda's rasping shot before tipping Mark Munyai's attempt onto the crossbar and out of danger.

At the other end of the park, King Ndlovu showcased his class in goal to keep Leopards within touching distance. The burly gloves man with two great saves to deny Mbhazima Rikhotso and Kabelo Dlamini before the half-hour mark.

The game continued to ebb and flow for the remainder of the half, with Leopards enjoying a slight upper-hand, but it would be Celtic to take a narrow lead into the break.

Leopards did most of the attacking in the second stanza, but came up against a very well organized Phunya Sele Sele defence and despite mounting pressure in the closing stages of the clash, Celtic held on for an impressive win on their travels.

Black Leopards (0) 0

Bloemfontein Celtic (1) 1 (Mabasa 10')

Black Leopards: Ndlovu; Munyai, Zulu, Munganga (Ndou 31'), Sibanda, Nange, Mokoena, Nene, Musonda (Ndlovu 63'), Tshepe (Mhlongo 55'), Khutlang.

Bloemfontein Celtic: Tignyemb; Sam, Rikhotso, Ndengane, Mabena, Mashikinya, Masuku (Potsane 66'), Gordinho, Dlamini (Letsoalo 72'), Phalane, Mabasa (Pfumbidzai 54').