Andrew Muchineripi Soccer
Mention names like Stoffel Nikane, Lebogang Kukane and Hendrik Gulwa outside of Bloemfontein and you are likely to be confronted with a blank stare from most South African soccer supporters.
Yet goals from these virtual unknowns have sent the unfashionable Free State club, Phunya Sele Sele, to the top of the multimillion-rand national championship with a maximum nine points from three rounds.
The league race covers a long, pot- holed road and the club seems ill- equipped to touch the finishing tape first, given their traditional mid- table status and lack of stars, strength in depth and financial resources.
But the same arguments could have been used against Durban outfit Manning Rangers in the inaugural Premier League two years ago and they won the title by finishing eight points ahead of Kaizer Chiefs.
Yours truly stands condemned of sometimes lauding the talent-scouting skills of Jomo “The Black Prince” Sono to the exclusion of all other “diamond diggers”. Therefore, I beg forgiveness today from Petros Molemela.
We have all heard the jokes about Bloemfontein being the dead centre of South Africa and we are not talking geography here. The truth is that Celtic have seldom set the soccer scene alight and publicity has been scarce.
Like Sono, Molemela has struggled for years in a financial wilderness, devoid of support (except when Chiefs and Orlando Pirates come to town) and financial backing, as sponsors seek the traditional giants.
That left White Head (so called because of his thick white mane) with two choices: raise the white flag and surrender ownership of the club he loves, or exhibit the characteristics of a Scrooge.
Given his passionate affair with the game of the people, he chose the latter option, and in true Sono style, sells his best players to survive and replaces them with nuggets from the hills.
Midfielder Charles Motlohi was arguably the best performer in the green and white of Celtic last season so, inevitably, the big boys came a- wooing and off he went to Sundowns for a reported R350E000 transfer fee.
Striker Sydwell Maboe was another star to leave, although he made little impression at Pirates and Amazulu before joining Wits University a couple of weeks ago and will face his old club at Milpark stadium on Friday night (August 14).
Central defender Willem Jackson has had more success since joining Pirates last year, quickly establishing himself in the national squad and playing for Bafana Bafana at the World Cup.
That leaves only goalkeeper Simon Gopane (whose sole national appearance came as a stand-in for injured Brian Baloyi at the African Nations Cup) as probably the only Celtic player known nationwide.
Nikane, Kukane and Gulwa have been among the scorers as Celtic opened their Premiership campaign with a 2-1 win at Cosmos and beat expensively assembled Chiefs 2-1 and Dynamos 3-0 over the holiday weekend.
Any knowledgable South African fan will surely confirm my view that it takes something special to leave the lair of Jomo with three points, while the win over Chiefs took many supporters by surprise.
With confidence sky-high, Celtic comfortably dispatched of relegation favourites Dynamos 48 hours later, by scoring three goals without reply in front of largely empty stands at Seisa Ramabodu.
So are these results a flash in the pan and will Celtic soon be in the more familiar surrounds of mid-table? The floodlit clash with the Clever Boys of Wits should provide revealing if not conclusive evidence.
Wits are a combative group of largely young players guided by Eddie Lewis,the grand old man among South African coaches, and are unbeaten following a win over Santos and draws with Cosmos and Chiefs.
Few teams leave Milpark with full points and if Celtic succeed they will be assured of remaining out in front whatever the results achieved by closest rivals Cape Town Spurs and Amazulu.
These clubs have seven points each from two wins and one draw and travel to Gauteng this weekend. Spurs tackle Pirates on Saturday and Amazulu face Vaal Professionals on Sunday.
The match of the weekend, though, comes in Durban on Sunday when fifth- placed Rangers defend an unbeaten record against a Chiefs team lacking midfielder Thabo Mooki and striker Siyabonga Nomvete due to injuries sustained in Bloemfontein.
Chiefs stand 10th on the 18-club table having dropped five points from a possible nine and they know that early losses can return to haunt a team come the final lap next May. This clash has all the ingredients for a thriller.