Bloemfontein Celtic pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent years when they defeated log leaders Sundowns 2-1 in a pulsating Premier Soccer League (PSL) match played at the Seisa Ramabodou Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
The win will help Celtic in their relegation battle after they won against Dynamos mid-week.
They were always going to face an onslaught from Sundowns, fresh from a 3-1 win over Chiefs.
The visitors from Mamelodi led 1-0 at the break, courtesy of a goal by Sandile Ndlovu, but a smartly taken goal from Celtic talisman and Bafana Bafana player Siyabonga Nkosi and a match-winning strike from Elias Ngwepe eased their immediate relegation concerns.
Ngwepe has been in brilliant form coming off a brace against Dynamos. In fact, the whole team have been revitalised following the dismissal of Paul Dolezar two weeks back.
The Bloemfontein team take on Chiefs in Johannesburg in their next PSL encounter.
Pirates’ Mokoena scores
Lebohang Mokoena, the Orlando Pirates wonder boy who is known as Cheeseboy, came on as a substitute in the PSL game at Loftus in Pretoria on Sunday afternoon and buttered up Supersport United with two second-half goals.
Mokoena’s sprightly brace — after the teams had each scored in the opening 10 minutes and finished level 1-1 at half-time — clinched a 3-1 victory for the Buccaneers and brought them dramatically into the forefront of the PSL championship race.
With Mamelodi Sundowns slithering to a 2-1 defeat against Bloemfontein Celtic, Pirates are now level on points with the log leaders and only trail through an inferior goal difference.
Mokoena, whose form for both Pirates and Bafana Bafana has failed to come up to expectations this year, recaptured his scoring touch with close-range goals in the 54th and 76th minutes, and engineered a deserved victory for the more enterprising and inventive Buccaneers.
But there was little to choose between the teams in a vacillating opening half after Gift Leremi had sensationally opened the score for Pirates with a bazooka-like free kick from the edge of the penalty area in the third minute and Abram Raselemane levelled matters with a scrambled goal six minutes later.
Supersport missed a golden opportunity of gaining the initiative in the 32nd minute when Katlego Mphela burst through a hesitant Pirates defence and ballooned the ball over the crossbar with only goalkeeper Francis Chansa to beat.
But on an overcast, sultry afternoon, with rain threatening throughout, Pirates’ supporters in the 15 000-strong crowd revelled in their team’s superiority and seemed oblivious a one-day cricket international between South Africa and Australia was in full swing at not-too-distant Centurion.
And when Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane was asked what went wrong with his side, he replied in a matter-of-fact manner: ”Nothing. Pirates were simply a better team.”
Santos beat Dynamos
Inspired by Botswana international Dipsy Selolwane, Santos posted a 3-1 victory over Dynamos in their PSL soccer match played at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday.
Santos did all the pressing but Dynamos were quick to counter, with Rodney Thobjane’s shot in the 10th minute going wide.
Selolwane was into the action as soon as the 15th minute when his low header into the corner was saved by Swadick Sanudi.
However, it was Dynamos who took the lead in the 17 minute. Isaac Leshabane finished off a movement that carried the length of the pitch.
Santos drew level in the 25th minute when Thobjane was adjudged to have handled in the box, and Selolwane stepped up to coolly slot the resulting penalty home.
With the clock ticking down to the end of the first half, a goal-mouth scuffle saw Selolwane slide the ball into the net.
The second half was only 40 seconds old when Jean Merc Ithir rose high above the defence to nod home the winner.
Two Stars share spoils
Silver Stars drew 1-1 with Free State Stars in their PSL soccer match, which was played at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
Home side Silver Stars led 1-0 at the interval, through a goal from Eddie Ngalo.
The home side had the upper hand throughout the game, but Roy Barreto’s charges from the Free State acquitted themselves well to earn the draw through Matome Madimabe eight minutes from time. — Sapa