Bloemfontein Celtic have struck fear into champions Mamelodi Sundowns on their last two trips to the capital with successive sensational results at Atteridgeville in the last two seasons.

But at their supposed fortress in Manguang, it has been a completely different story and so it continued on Wednesday night as Sundowns won for a ninth time on their last 12 trips to the City of Roses.

Themba Zwane finished with composure and confidence 12 minutes from time to take the champions into the top five in the Premier Soccer League standings with the only goal of the game at the Petrus Molemela Stadium.

He had come on as a substitute for Sibusiso Vilakazi and proved vital in keeping the lead intact in the closing stages.

After scoring, Zwane provided a goal line clearance after Wayne Sandilands botched a punch out from a corner and instead parried the ball towards his own goal that Zwane hooked cleared. Without goal line technology it was difficult to say whether it had crossed the line but Celtic seemed unlucky not be awarded an equaliser.

Celtic finished strongly but Sundowns, on the balance of play, deserved the three-point haul, which lifts them to 22 from 10 games – only a third of the league season now done for them.

Khama Billiat had the first chance of the game with a clever turn on the edge of the Celtic penalty area after 10 minutes but his effort was saved.

Sundowns dominated the first half exchanges as Hlompho Kekana fired two long range efforts in on goal -- the first just flying over and the second a free kick that Patrick Tignyemb parried away for a corner.

But Celtic might have taken the lead just before the break with one of just a few chances. A cross into the Sundowns area was poorly cleared away by Thapelo Morena straight at Atusaye Nyondo, whose shot beat Wayne Sandilands but was blocked on the line by Morena.

The rebound fell invitingly for Musa Nyatama, but he wasted a crucial second or two through indecision, enough to allow Sandilands to scramble across and save at his feet and keep the game goalless at the break.

Sandilands, chosen ahead of Denis Onyango, made another good save with some 15 minutes left to deny a high flying effort from speedy Deon Hotto.

Soon after Sundowns scored they might have had a second when Percy Tau, on the break away, went around the goalkeeper but from a tight angle hit his shot against the upright in a wasted chance.

Sundowns fielded their new Algerian signing Fares Hachi – the first player from that north African country to compete in the Premier Soccer League – as both left backs Tebogo Langerman and Mzikayise Mashaba were unavailable.

The 27-year-old French-born defender played against Sundowns for Entente Setif last year in the African Champions League.

It is unusual for Pitso Mosimane to throw a foreigner into the deep end so quickly after joining the club but he had little option. Usually he likes to ‘blood’ them in slowly given the furious pace and tempo of the South African domestic game.

Celtic, with just three wins in 15 games, remain dangerously close to the drop zone.