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Wits and Celtic kick off MTN8

Cape Town - Wits and Bloemfontein Celtic will kick-off the 2013 MTN8 when they meet for a quarter-final at Bidvest Stadium on Friday. Kick-off is at 18:00.

Wits have returned to the MTN8 for the first time since 2011. Last season they finished fourth on the PSL log, racking up 44 points from their 30 matches.

The Clever Boys have not progressed past the quarter-finals in their last two participations in the MTN8, losing out to Kaizer Chiefs in both 2009 and 2011.

Celtic are participating in the MTN8 for the fourth successive season. Last term they ended fifth on the PSL log, picking up 42 points from their 30 matches.

Phunya Sele Sele, like Wits, have not managed to progress past the first hurdle in the MTN8 in recent years. They have had the misfortune of losing 1-0 in three successive years to Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

In Top Eight Cup history, Wits have reached the final of the competition five times - and won it twice (1984 and 1995).

Celtic have won the Top Eight Cup once, defeating SuperSport United in 2005 in their lone appearance in the final.

The Clever Boys and Phunya Sele Sele have met in just six previous cup matches. The most recent was in the 1999/2000 season in the first round of the Rothmans Cup.

Wits have tended to enjoy the better of cup matches between the teams, winning five of the six encounters, including both of the two Top Eight Cup ties in which they have met, back in 1986 and 1989.

Overall the teams have met in 53 league and cup matches since 1985. Again it is the Johannesburg team who have recorded more wins: 23 compared to 16 for the Free State side.

Wits also have a good home record against Celtic, with 14 wins from 26 matches, though they have lost two of the last three home league matches against the team in green and white.

In meetings between the two clubs last season, it was the home side that came out on top in each encounter. Wits won 2-0 at home in the first half of the season, while Celtic claimed revenge with a 3-0 victory in the return match.

The teams’ last meeting was a league match on February 16, 2013 at the Free State Stadium.

The other three quarter-finals will see Platinum Stars host Free State Stars (Saturday at 15:00), Kaizer Chiefs v University of Pretoria (Saturday at 20:15), while on Sunday, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United clash at the Mbombela Stadium (15:00).


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