Celtic suffer TKO elimination
A brace from Khama Billiat helped ensure that Mamelodi Sundowns recorded a resounding 4-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the first round of the Telkom Knockout on Sunday afternoon at the Kaizer Sebothelo stadium.
The result means that Phunya Sele Sele are eliminated from the tournament and will not be able to defend their title from last year.
Sundowns handed Celtic a horror start to the defence of their own title when they found themselves 2-0 down in the opening seven minutes of the game.
Goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb was to blame on both occasions when he his failed clearance allowed for Dove Wome to fire a low ball into the bottom right hand corner just four minutes in.
And it soon became 2-0 to Sundowns when Wome’s free-kick was deflected into the back of the net by Limbikani Mzava’s head, beating Tignyemb at the near post.
Celtic finally managed to get their heads into the game as they started to see more of the ball, but there was still little production in front of goal.
Khama Billiat’s 24th minute lob sailed just high of Celtic’s goal, before Ruzaigh Gamildien’s effort went narrowly wide within the same minute.
The scoreline was extended on the half hour mark to 3-0, when Billiat brilliantly blasted home Bryce Moon’s well worked cross from the byline to leave Celtic’s defence in sixes and sevens.
The former Ajax Cape Town man nearly added a second goal to his name when his effort, from three-yards out, was struck over the crossbar but the action was blown for offside.
Sundowns continued to show they meant business when Billiat made it 4-0 after striking in Malajila’s well worked ball passed Tignyemb in the 48th minute.
By the 70th minute of the fixture Clinton Larsen had already used all three substitutes, bringing on Auguston Leonard, Letsie Koapeng and Nkosingiphile Ncobeni.
As the game drew to a close, the pace of the game drifted off as Sundowns went on to extract revenge over their Telkom Knockout loss against Celtic in the final last season.
Bloemfontein Celtic: (0) 0
Mamelodi Sundowns: (3) 4 (Wome 4’, Mzava 7’ OG, Billiat 30’ +48’)
Bloemfontein Celtic: Tignyemb, Mogapi, Nthethe, Daniels, Gamildien (Ncobeni 70’), Mzava, Lakay (Leonard 50’), Arwuah, Buchanan, Mogorosi, Manzini (Koapeng 59’)
Sundowns: Mweene, Langerman, Arendse, Schut, Moon, Malajila (Mashego 74’), Wome (Moriri 74’), Kekana, Billiat, Zungu, Laffor (Mashaba 81’)
BACKPAGE MEDIA
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