Phalaborwa Celtics crowned champions amid controversy

PHALABORWA – Phalaborwa Celtics lifted the trophy at the Modupi Mining 2nd Annual Top 32 Soccer Tournament after defeating Selwana Chillo Stars 1-0 in a tense final on Saturday, September 6, at the Phalaborwa United Sports Ground in Makhushane.

The victory earned the Celtics R80 000, a trophy, and gold medals. However, celebrations were clouded by heated allegations of unfair refereeing and bribery raised by their rivals.

The game was tough from the start, with both teams fighting hard and creating chances in the windy conditions. The first half ended without any goals, but in the second half, Given Ndlovu was quick to react to a rebound and scored. His strike made the difference, sending the Celtics bench and fans into loud celebrations.

However, the final whistle was met with anger from the Chillo Stars camp. Their coach, Hendrick Malatji, was left furious with what he called “one-sided refereeing.”

“The referees were not on our side. They were favouring Phalaborwa Celtics. My goalkeeper, who is also the captain, tried to point out that the goal was offside, but the referees ignored him. We also had two clear penalties that were not given. The match was not fair,” said Malatji.

“We suspect there was bribery in the match,” he alleged.

In response, Phalaborwa Celtics chairman, Aubrey Ngobeni, dismissed the claims outright, calling Chillo Stars “bad losers.”

“How does a rebound become an offside? They should focus on football instead of pouring muthi. They lost the game fair and square,” Ngobeni told the Herald.

The tournament organisers also rejected the bribery allegations. Communications manager, Kgaugelo Pilusa, insisted that the officiating was above board.

“In most cases, when teams lose, they look for something or someone to blame. Referees were appointed at the last minute before the game started. The match was played fair and square. There was no mandate or bribery involved,” said Pilusa.

Meanwhile, Phalaborwa Celtics coach Comfort Mathebula expressed his joy at winning the championship. “We are delighted to be crowned champions of the Modupi Tournament. The celebrations have been incredible, and I still cannot believe I achieved this as a coach. It truly feels like a dream,” he said.

Mathebula admitted the match had been challenging, particularly due to the windy weather. “Before halftime, the wind was favouring Chillo Stars, but they could not score. In the second half, we switched sides, and the wind favoured us; that was when we scored our winning goal,” he explained.

He also reflected on their tournament experience, naming Selwana FC Porto as their toughest opponents.

“We played against them and drew 0-0, and even in the replay, we drew 0-0 until we finally beat them on penalties. It was a very tough match. We never thought we would win that one, but we did,” said Mathebula.

The tournament concluded with Chillo Stars receiving R60 000 for their runner-up finish. Maseke Youngstars finished third and took home R45 000, while Maseke MJM Hotspurs ended fourth with R35 000.

Teams finishing between fifth and eighth place, including Phalaborwa United, Selwane White Vultures, Dinoko Black Aces, and Lulekani TS Galaxy, each walked away with R5 000.