adminBLOEMFONTEIN. – Zimbabwe international striker Tendai Ndoro opened his goal-scoring account in the new Absa Premiership yesterday with a spectacular strike as Mpumalanga Black Aces held Bloemfontein Celtic to a 1-1 draw at the Free State Stadium yesterday.Botswana forward Joel Mogorosi ensured the match ended in a relatively tame draw.
Coaches Ernst Middendorp and Clive Barker will have much to ponder after this opening league clash in which their teams showed flashes of promise, but were also guilty of some basic errors in both tactics and execution.
It took until the 33rd minute for another chance to arrive, but Lyle Lakay’s tame shot was easily saved by Aces goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro.
Celtic’s Lakay then cleared an Aces effort off his own goal line six minutes later as Eddie Ngalo threatened to put the visitors ahead.
The first half seemed destined to end goalless, but out of nowhere AmaZayoni broke the deadlock in the first minute of injury time before the break.
Zimbabwean striker Ndoro somehow managed to beat Patrick Tignyemb from an almost impossible angle near the right by-line to send Aces into the interval 1-0 up
The Mpumalanga club had a chance to double their lead early in the second half when Celtic failed to clear their lines from a corner kick, but Ngalo shot over the target amid a throng of bodies in the penalty area.
Celtic, who had boldly sent on both Lerato Lamola and Tumelo Mogapi at the start of the second half, restored parity in the 54th minute. Lamola was the architect of the goal, with his cross from the left forcing a mistake between Murambadoro and a defender. Mogorosi was on hand to capitalise, steering home a calm finish to make it 1-1.
The teams traded half-chances, but Aces created a terrific opportunity to reclaim the lead in the 83rd minute, with Ndoro sneaking in between the centre-backs to latch onto a cross from the left flank, but his glancing header was comfortably saved by Tignyemb.
Aces had a couple of nervy moments of their own in the dying minutes where some desperate defending was required, but they were able to hold out for a deserved share of the spoils ahead of their mid-week match against Kaizer Chiefs, while Celtic will host Orlando Pirates. – SuperSport.
Online Reporter