BLOEMFONTEIN Celtic again underlined head coach Clinton Larsen’s point that his side has depth when they lifted the Macufe Cup for a record fourth successive year, beating Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 at a boiling hot Free State Stadium yesterday.
A goal in the 62nd minute by bright teenage prospect Dumisani Zuma separated the sides and earned Celtic a hard-fought victory. Phunya Sele Sele have now won the cup for a record sixth time.
A near capacity crowd of 40 000 baked in the blazing hot Bloemfontein sun, with players from both sides wilting under the blazing heat late in the game.
Both sides fielded fringe players and players returning from injury, but Larsen played a virtual reserve side.
Chiefs fielded a far more experienced line-up who all failed to fire, which will be of concern to head coach Steve Komphela.
Amakhosi fans will have been happy to see the return of goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo and veteran defender Morgan Gould from injury.
Komphela gave George Maluleka, Bongani Ndulula, Lucky Baloyi, Keagan Ritchie and Siyanda Xulu the chance to get game-time and stake a claim for a more regular place in the starting line-up. But no one took up the challenge.
Larsen’s belief in youth was repaid when striker Mabaso came closest to breaking the deadlock but he headed over the upright when he was in a great position a minute from half-time.
But Zuma, the 19-year-old budding star, did brilliantly when he latched onto a through ball, raced past Xulu and Gould to calmly put the ball past Khuzwayo for the only goal in the 62nd minute.
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