Soccer
Celtic crowned champions
2012-12-01 22:26
Joel Mogorosi (Gallo Images)
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Durban - Bloemfontein Celtic were crowned Telkom Knockout champions for the first
time after Joel Mogorosi’s controversial second-half goal helped them secure a
1-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on
Saturday night.
The goal came after 47 minutes when the midfielder headed in at the back
post, although replays on whether the whole ball crossed the line were
inconclusive.
Referee Phillip Tinyani nonetheless awarded the goal after linesman
Thembisile Windvoel raised his flag, despite the efforts of defender Clayton
Daniels to clear on the line.
The Brazilians failed to conjure up any meaningful threat thereafter and
slipped to a second cup final loss in seven months, while Clinton Larsen’s men
held on for the R4.25m prize -the third major trophy in their history and first
since 2005.
The men from Pretoria came out firing early on with Teko Modise
orchestrating all the attacking movement for his side.
And the Bafana Bafana midfielder had the first opening when he forced Celtic
goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb to dive to his right and turn the ball away for a
corner after a testing effort from the edge of the box.
Celtic finally managed a decent attack after 17 minutes when Lennox Bacela
burst down the left, beat his man and shot low, only to have his effort
scrambled away by Wayne Sandilands.
Siwelele were then almost made to pay for losing the ball in attack as
Modise led a swift break, which ended with Richard Henyekane shooting tamely at
Tignyemb.
Themba Zwane and Henyekane then played a superb one-two that allowed the
former to speed into the box, but his shot was poked wide, while at the other
end Ruzaigh Gamildien’s sharp turning saw him beat two men, before arrowing
centimetres past the right upright.
The rapid pace and flow of the game continued past the half hour mark and
Abel Mabaso’s rising attempt from the right was tipped over for a corner
Tignyemb.
That proved the last chance of the first half as the two sides went level
into the break.
But almost straight after the restart, the Free Staters went ahead.
A short corner from Lyle Lakay was then delivered to the back post by
Limbikani Mzava where Mogorosi, who scored for the third time in the 2012
competition, was waiting to head his side ahead.
Gamildien almost doubled the advantage four minutes later when he got onto
the end of another splendid counter-attack and shot agonisingly past the
upright.
Sundowns finally responded when Modise controlled skilfully on the edge of
the box, before shooting wide.
And with the clock winding down, Bacela twice missed a golden chance to seal
the win when he struck the upright first, followed by Sandilands turning it wide
for a corner at the near post.
Nyasha Mushekwi missed Sundowns’ only other opening, as Johan Neeskens’s men
fell to defeat.
Teams:
Sundowns: Sandilands; Mabaso, Daniels,
Schut, Langerman; Nyandoro, Zwane; Henyekane (Mushekwi 75’), Modise, Julies
(Laffor 59’); Rodgers
Celtic: Tignyemb; Nthethe, Mzava (Leonard
83’), Isaacs, Mahoa; Madubanya (Duiker 60’), Arwuah; Mogorosi, Gamildien, Lakay
(Motshegwa 76’); Bacela