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Seema dismisses suggestions that Sundowns are overwhelming title favourites

Bloemfontein Celtic stand-in head coach Lehlohonolo Seema barks out instructions to his players during the Absa Premiership match away at Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on December 16, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa. Sundowns won 4-1.
Bloemfontein Celtic stand-in head coach Lehlohonolo Seema barks out instructions to his players during the Absa Premiership match away at Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on December 16, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa. Sundowns won 4-1.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Bloemfontein Celtic stand-in coach Lehlohonolo Seema  has dismissed suggestions that Mamelodi Sundowns are the only league title favourites.

Sundowns handed Celtic a heavy 4-1 defeat in a premiership clash at Loftus on Saturday and the former Lesotho and Orlando Pirates captain said there are other teams who will have a say in the destiny of the title.

“I don’t think so‚ they ran away with the game against us but as for the league it is still early to say that‚" he said.

"I don’t think they are running away with the league. 

"People are saying this league is poor but I don’t think so because I believe it is competitive and that is why it is too early to say Sundowns are running away with it. 

"They are a good team but it is not like they dominate teams completely for 90 minutes. 

"If other teams use their opportunities and concentrate properly it will be a different story. 

"I think you guys are in for a nice finish to the season.”

Seema‚ however‚ admitted that they were beaten by a better team and they did not have the right answers to the questions that Sundowns asked them in the second half after they managed to keep them at bay before the break.

It was goalless when they went to the break but the Brazilians showed their class and title credentials with four goals from Thokozani Sekotlong‚ Tiyani Mabunda‚ Percy Tau and Themba Zwane in the second half with Ronald Pfumbidzai scoring Celtic’s consolation goal.

“It is a heavy margin of defeat for us but we knew where Sundowns can hurt us.

"We resisted in the first half but they have experience‚ they are former African champions and it showed. 

"They know when to rotate the ball‚ when to counter attack and when to switch the ball. 

"But that is what we analysed and that is what we were expecting from them and it was not easy because they keep on coming with different movements‚” said Seema‚ who was in charge of the game in the absence of coach Veselin Jelušić who is attending a coaching course in Europe.

“They probe until you lose concentration‚ they are a team that you can’t make mistakes against. 

"We tried and made some changes‚ we scored one goal and thought we were coming back in the game but Sundowns being Sundowns went into another gear. 

"Percy Tau is class‚ if you can’t mark him for 90 minutes he will punish you. 

"We tried to talk to the players but the concentration went down.

"I can’t fault them because they lost to a better team. 

"I believe if we were playing against another team we could have come up with something here. 

"We are disappointed with the heavy score because it is going to work against us but we will keep on fighting and hopefully in the next game against SuperSport United on Wednesday at home we can finish the year in a good way.

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