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Cape Town - Bloemfontein Celtic coach Ernst Middendorp was left furious with his side's defending after they let a two-goal lead slip against AmaZulu before losing 3-2 in the Telkom Knockout last-16.
Read: AmaZulu win in extra-time
After a rather lacklustre first half, Dumisani Zwane opened the scoring before Wandisile Letlabika was red carded following a second bookable offence.
However, despite being a man down, Siwelele got a second through Vuyani Ntanga, but it was not to be as Marc Van Heerden, Khulekani Madondo and Bornwell Mwape fired back in the space of 13 minutes to hand Usuthu a place in the next round.
"It is shocking to go [out] in such a game, after dominating most of the time, and you give it away like that in the final minutes," said Middendorp.
"I'm not pleased at going out in the first round, and [with regards to Letlabika’s sending off] it’s a little bit threatening to have this in this area of consistency, and I don't know how to say.”
“There are some situations that are quite strange, but as I said, I don't have much to blame the referee in this, it happened.”
"With a yellow card and second yellow card, the player must be a little bit more smart and not tackle in that nature, but it was not a foul.”
“Last week it was Gabadinho [Mhango], and when you see it again, you jump and you follow the ball and in the same moment something sliding in and it's a yellow card. But I think we need to respond [appeal]."
