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Kaizer Chiefs will look to put their recent winless streak behind them when they host Bloemfontein Celtic at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday at 6pm. This final DStv Premiership match of 2020 has been announced as a must win for both teams as they will be in action at African club competitions the following week.
Amakhosi and Phunya Sele Sele have a long history dating back to June 6, 1971, when the two teams met for the first time in the league. With Celtic as hosts, the Chiefs won 5-0 in the first round and in the second game of that season the Chiefs were left with 2-1 winners on July 24, 1971.
In the PSL era, teams met from the inaugural season in 1996-97 to the 2000-01 season. They did not meet between the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons, while Celtic were at the bottom tier.
The rivalry between the teams resumed in the 2004-05 campaign with Chiefs winning the first clash between the teams on January 5, 2005. In the second leg, Amakhosi won on the final day of the season, a result that saw Chiefs win the league title ahead. of his rivals Orlando Pirates.
Last season when the two teams met, the Chiefs won the first home team clash 5-3 coming from behind to win the game, with Samir Nurković scoring a hat-trick and becoming the second Chiefs player to score three. goals in a league game. against Celtic in the PSL era. The other player to score a hattrick was Kaizer Motaung Jnr, who scored for the Chiefs in a 4-0 league victory in the 2006-07 campaign. Celtic won the second leg played during the bio-bubble as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, 3-1.
Games between the teams have always been hotly contested affairs and they have met 42 times since 1996-97 in league matches. The Chiefs have an advantage by winning 22 games, Celtic 6 with another 14 games ending in draws. Additionally, the Chiefs have a good home record against Celtic and haven’t lost in their last 24 home league games against Siwelele.
Overall, the Chiefs have lost just two of their last 21 league games against Celtic and have won eight and managed to keep 14 clean sheets this run as well. Starting in the 2011-12 season through the end of the 2016-17 season, the Chiefs did not allow a goal against Celtic, until conceding a 1-1 draw at Bloemfontein on the opening day of the 2017-18 season.
For both teams, this game is vital as Celtic had started the season without a win in their first four games losing three in a row on that streak. They have turned the tide and have won their last two games in a row. The Chiefs will also target the three valuable points on offer as they look to climb the table and gain a huge confidence boost before their next African Champions League game against Primero De Agosto from Angola.
The game will be televised live on DStv Channel 202.
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