
Nedbank Cup
Result: Celtic 0-1 Chiefs
Date: 13 April 2013
Venue: Free State Stadium
Kaizer Chiefs eased into the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup at the expense of Bloemfontein Celtic, beating them 1-0 at the Free State Stadium.
The only goal of the game came from Dominic Isaacs as the ball came off him and went into the wrong net to send Phunya Sele Sele crashing out.
Bernard Parker had the first decent chance of the opening exchanged as the ball broke to him but he could not generate sufficient power as he shot on the turn.
Chiefs did most of the early running but could not crack the Celtic defence open and in the 17th minute Siyabonga Nkosi resorted to a shot from range that sailed over the bar.
Following a Chiefs corner Tefu Mashamaite stayed up and the ball was duly played back into the box but it was too strong for the centre back.
Midway through the half Celtic came very close to taking the lead as Khune got down excellently to swat away a low cross before Lennox Bacela headed onto the roof of the net from the rebound.
The home side were on the attack again soon afterwards and Roderick Mutuma went close with a great improvised shot as the cross arrived slightly behind him.
Patrick Tingyemb almost had his team in trouble as he failed to communicate properly with his defenders and the ball almost crept through towards goal.
At the other end Celtic were plundering the Amakhosi goal with crosses and getting ever closer as Bacela had his shot saved at point blank range by Itumeleng Khune.
Siphiwe Tshabalala tried his luck from range in the 42nd minute but Celtic’s Cameroonian stopper had little more to do than pluck it out the air.
Khune was called into action only a few minutes into the second half as Joel Mogorosi hammered a shot at goal after creating some space for himself.
In the 57th minute Chiefs eventually found the opener and it came courtesy of a former player as Isaacs scored an own goal off of Tshabalala’s cross.
Lincoln Zvasiya believed the goal was his and he almost had the chance to add his name to the scoresheet but failed to direct his header in.
With time winding down substitute Kingston Nkatha lashed a venomous shot over the bar as Chiefs went in search of the goal that would guarantee them passage to the semi-final.
At the other end the home side pushed hard to find the crucial equaliser and Khune produced heroics to deny Gamildien in the dying seconds.
The result ensures the current Absa Premiership leaders keep their double dream alive.
Celtic: Tingyemb, Mahoa, Nthethe, Isaacs, Mzava, Lakay (Ntanga 84’), Arwuah, Mogorosi, Madubanya (Gamildien), Mutuma, Bacela.
Chiefs: Khune, Gaxa, Zvasiya, Mashamaite, Masilela, Katsande, Nkosi, Tshabalala, Majoro, Lebese, Parker (Nkatha 50’).
Goal: Dominic Isaacs (OG 57’)
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