Arguably the best and worst goals of the soccer season will not go into the record books after the Premier Soccer League game at Bidvest Stadium on Friday night was called off after 57 minutes with Wits University leading Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1.
The resumption of a fierce electric storm, which caused the game to start 25 minutes late, was ultimately responsible for the premature ending of the bizarre proceedings.
But long after the cancellation, lingering spectators in a 5 000-strong crowd were still talking about the 40m piledriver from Abram Raselemane that gave Wits a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute and the Celtic goal seconds later that was scored by Moses Spandeel with more than half the home team’s players — including goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs — off the pitch celebrating.
Such was the dazzling nature of Raselemane’s strike that the Wits players and officials were still congratulating each other on the sideline when Celtic resumed play without warning and Moses Spandeel casually guided the ball into an empty net.
Despite angry protest by the Wits players, officials and supporters that Celtic’s actions were ”simply not soccer” — let alone not cricket — the referee ruled the goal legitimate and changed the course of a game that appeared poised to end in a comfortable victory for Wits.
Ultimately, however, the weather had the final say and the match will be replayed –”within the next couple of weeks”, according to Premier Soccer League chief operations officer Ronnie Schloss. — Sapa