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Bloem Celtic stand firm to share spoils with Kaizer Chiefs

Mahlatse Mphahlele Sports reporter
Tebogo Potsane of Bloemfontein Celtic challenges Siyabonga Ngezana of Kaizer Chiefs during the DStv Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic at FNB Stadium on December 19, 2020 in Soweto, South Africa.
Tebogo Potsane of Bloemfontein Celtic challenges Siyabonga Ngezana of Kaizer Chiefs during the DStv Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic at FNB Stadium on December 19, 2020 in Soweto, South Africa.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackPagePix/Gallo Images

Kaizer Chiefs players will spend their Christmas break on the wrong side of the DStv Premiership table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bloemfontein Celtic.

They ended the year by dropping important two points at home against a determined Bloemfontein Celtic at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon where they surrendered an early first half lead.

They are sitting fifth from the bottom on the log and they may drop lower if any of AmaZulu, Chippa United or Black Leopards get a favourable results diring last matches of the year on Sunday.

It goes without saying that Amakhosi coach Gavin and his men have a lot of work to do next year to revive their campaign and they currently trail log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by a whooping eleven points.

As things stands, Chiefs have only won one match after eight starts including three losses and four draws but even more worrying is that they have not won a match in six outings.

The last time Chiefs was in October and it is worth noting that they have conceded eleven and scored seven.

This result means that Amakhosi will go into their crucial Caf Champions League, second preliminary match against Angolan side Primeiro de Agosto next week with pressure on them.

For Celtic coach John Maduka and his players, they have will welcome an away point from a team that finished second on the log last season even though they have been struggling this season under Hunt.

This will serve as motivation for Celtic players as they also have Caf Confederation Cup duties against Rivers United next week where they will be looking to give themselves an advantage ahead of the trip to Nigeria for the second leg.

Chiefs took the lead after nine minutes from the head of Anthony Agay who connected with a telling cross from the right flank by Khama Billiat after Amakhosi took a quick and short corner kick.

The notable change in the starting line-up by Hunt saw goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi relegating Itumeleng Khune, committed costly mistakes in their draw against Black Leopards and loss to SuperSport United, to the bench.

The other notable thing on the Chiefs starting line-up was the continued absence of key striker Samir Nurković who remains sidelined even though Hunt has said that he is available to play.

For the opening goal, Agay sneaked between defender Siphelele Luthuli and his captain Ndumiso Mabena to give Celtic goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane no chance between the sticks.

After 21 minutes, Chiefs launched a good attack that split the Celtic defence and it ended with Billiat’s well-taken curling shot going agonizingly wide of the upright with Mabokgwane beaten.

Cetic equalized trough substitute Tumelo Mangweni who pounced with a thunderous left footed shot from inside the box to beat Akpeyi after he received a clever pass from Ryan de Jongh after 67 minutes.

For the equaliser, Mangweni timed his run to almost perfection and he was played on-side by Siyabonga Ngezana but the move was made possible by a clever pass from de Jongh as they earned a deserved point.

FT score

Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1

Bloemfontein Celtic (0) 1

Scorers: Kaizer Chiefs – Anthony Agay (9)

Bloemfontein Celtic – Tumelo Mangweni (67)