Johannesburg – The setback from last season will probably still be lingering for Kaizer Chiefs when they trot on to the Free State Stadium pitch in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon.
Looking to restart the season on a winning note after the long December and Africa Cup of Nations break, Amakhosi dropped their first points of the year when Bloemfontein Celtic held them goalless on a bitingly cold Wednesday night.
That draw chipped away a bit of the confidence that oStuart Baxter’s team had and it was not surprising that soon thereafter they suffered their first league loss away to SuperSport United.
In the end, however, those shortfalls did not matter as Chiefs went on to set all manner of new records in winning the Absa Premiership title.
Fast forward to the present and there’s yet to be that sense of invincibility about the Glamour Boys.
And, while they have not beaten Chiefs in either league or cup competitions since almost six years ago, Celtic will believe they have some measure of their illustrious opponents when the two teams square up in the MTN8 semi-final, first leg today.
And that confidence will not be misplaced, Clinton Larsen’s side being at this stage of the season-opening tournament courtesy of a penalty shoot-out win over another big side in Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, it is Chiefs’ form that will have Celtic believing they can finally get the better of the defending champions.
For one, Chiefs are no longer coached by Baxter, the Brit mentor who had already established a brilliant rapport with the players and got them playing like a well-oiled machine.
Steve Komphela has since taken over and is, naturally, still experiencing some teething problems as was evidenced by the club’s performances in their two official matches of the new season.
In progressing to this stage of the competition, Chiefs suffered the rare ignominy of conceding a massive three goals to which they responded with their own five.
Celtic will be encouraged by the fact that the previously stingy Chiefs defence leaked like a sieve against Maritzburg United and they will no doubt have the likes of Lerato Lamola and Lyle Lakay run at them from the onset.
While Amakhosi looked to have sorted their defensive frailties a bit when they played their opening Premiership match against Chippa United last week, there were still moments when the likes of Joseph Malongoane and Mark Mayambela still found their way through.
And then there’s the fact that Chippa managed to shut Chiefs out, despite their having been a man down for most of the match after Malongoane was sent off half way through the first half that will be further encouragement to Celtic.
But they will have to be much more organised and solid at the back than they were during their trip to Polokwane City where they fetched three goals in suffering a 3-2 defeat.
Aware that the match is but just half of this semi-final tie, Chiefs have said they would be happy to get a draw in the away leg with defender Erick Mathoho saying the important thing is to shut Celtic out.
“We want to get fa draw or a win,” he said.
“It would also be great if we could keep a clean sheet.”
With Itumeleng Khune back in goals and having shown he has lost none of the qualities that has seen him become the country’s No1 goalkeeper, Chiefs can achieve their objective.
Yet Mathoho and Siyanda Xulu will need to put no foot wrong be at their best against a Celtic side capable of finding their way through any defence.