MAMELODI Sundowns winger Thapelo Morena insists it would be suicidal for Mamelodi Sundowns to underestimate his former club, Bloemfontein Celtic, amid their financial quagmire.
He said they would not take the cash-strapped club lightly when they visit Siwelele for an Absa Premiership match at the Dr Molemela Stadium tonight (7.30pm).
The bankrupt Celtic are under immense pressure, with players reportedly threatening to boycott matches unless their salaries are paid. The crisis has also affected Celtic’s rich vein of form.
Steve Komphela’s outfit lost their first league game of the season 1-0 to Maritzburg United at the same venue last weekend. To make matters worse, Celtic are without key defender Alfred Ndengane, who joined Orlando Pirates last week – with the management hoping to use the signing fee to pay players’ salaries.
Sundowns have only collected a mere four points from their last two league games against KwaZulu-Natal teams. They drew 3-3 with AmaZulu and beat Golden Arrows 1-0.
Morena, who is in Stuart Baxter’s Bafana Bafana team to face Seychelles in back-to-back 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 13 and 16 October, said Celtic would be motivated by playing against defending PSL champions.
He said: “Celtic have had challenges (salary crisis) that we have read about in newspapers. But I don’t think they will take that to the game. They want to stay at the top. They will give it their best shot, which will make it tough for us to climb up the table.”
Morena says their defence will need to be alert of the dangers posed by the Celtic attack led by Tshegofatso Mabaso. “We know their approach and how they will come at us,” he added.
“They are dangerous in front of goal, their centre-backs and wingbacks like to go into the opposition’s box. We know Lantshene Phalane is good with ball distribution, we need to deal with that. But we know their weaknesses, hopefully we will score. We must go out there and show we want it more than them.”
Morena credits coach Pitso Mosimane for his Bafana call-up against Seychelles: “I would like to thank the coaches at Sundowns and Stuart Baxter for giving me this opportunity. I will work on consistency and do my best when I get to play.”
