Orlando Pirates sailed into the final of the Telkom Knockout after they defeated 10-man Bloemfontein Celtic 3-0 in a controversial and drama filled semifinal clash at the Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday night.
Celtic were controversially reduced to 10-men in first-half injury time when referee Abdul Ebrahim sent off Celtic striker Geoffrey Sserunkuma. The incident followed a yellow card to his Celtic teammate Cyrille Mubiala after the DRC defender elbowed Bucs striker Ivan Mhlambi.
Sserunkuma had plenty to say to the match official and that could be the reason for his red card. But the sending off was a mystery and incensed Celtic so badly that assistant coach Toby de Nobrega was told to leave the bench after a heated discussion with match officials.
Ebrahim was criticised during a league match earlier this season when Kaizer Chiefs striker Tshepo Bulu was viciously elbowed in the face by Maritzburg United defender Gary Goldstone and suffered a broken nose. That incident warranted only a yellow card from Ebrahim and he was roundly condemned for failing to send off Goldstone.
Celtic shot themselves in the foot in the 39th minute when former Chiefs defender Ditheko Mototo blatantly pushed Bucs striker Gilbert Mushangazhike inside his penalty area and this time the referee had no option but to award a penalty and book Mototo for his stupid challenge.
Bucs’ in-form defender Lucas Thwala stepped up and confidently thumped home the penalty to put Bucs 1-0 ahead.
It was well deserved as Pirates had been the better side for most of the first half. They took the game to Celtic, who were happy to sit back and hit their more experienced opponents on the counterattack.
Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb did well to cut out a dangerous cross from Dikgang Mabalane in the 12th minute as Bucs probed for the opening goal.
Mubiala pulled off a perfectly timed challenge on Mushangazhike inside his penalty area to deny the Zimbabwean striker a shot on target on 23 minutes.
At the other end Bucs keeper Senzo Meyiwa weakly palmed down a long cross and from the loose ball made amends by making a stunning save from Patrick Malokase three minutes from the break.
Malokase missed a golden chance to equalise in the 57th minute when he was free on the right and with the goal at his mercy he shot wide.
Teko Modise was right in the thick of the action after the break. The Bucs talisman forced Tignyemb to pull off a good save from a well struck 18m shot in the 60th minute. Modise had the crowd on their feet when his spectacular overhead kick sailed over the upright two minutes later.
But the best save of the night was made by Meyiwa in denying a Malokase volley in the 67th minute.
A foul by Celtic substitute Kamohelo Mabuya gave Bucs their second goal. Mabuya had seconds earlier replaced veteran John Maduka but went crashing into Modise and gave away a foul in a dangerous area.
Modise sent in a trade mark free kick that fooled the Celtic defence but found teammate Benson Mhlongo on the far post. The midfielder blasted home goal number two and sealed Bucs’ passage into the Knockout final.
Mushangazhike was righty booked for diving inside the area by Ebrahim in the 79th minute as the big striker looked to pull one over the under pressure referee.
But the icing on the cake was put on by Bucs substitute Bennett Chenene who scored a stunning third goal four minutes from time to hammer the final nail into Celtics’s coffin. Chenene latched on to a flick from Modise and coolly placed his shot past Tignyemb to make it 3-0 and send the Pirates fans into dream land.
Bucs will play the winner of Sunday’s other semifinal between Ajax Cape Town and Free Stars at East London’s Absa Stadium on Sunday in the final on December 13 at a venue to be announced. – Sapa