{"id":889,"date":"2020-12-12T22:08:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-12T22:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.com\/south-africa\/?p=889"},"modified":"2020-12-12T22:08:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T22:08:34","slug":"celtic-coach-plots-to-write-his-own-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/celtic-coach-plots-to-write-his-own-history","title":{"rendered":"Celtic coach plots to write his own history"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press<\/a> – South-Africa<\/a>. <\/strong><\/span>JOHANNESBURG – Having been at Bloemfontein Celtic for the past 16 years, John Maduka knows the club like the back of his hand. And that\u2019s why there\u2019s no person better equipped to guide the club back to the glory days than him.<\/p>\n

A well-travelled defender during his heydays \u2013 having had stints at clubs such as the defunct Bush Bucks and AmaZulu \u2013 Maduka joined the team from the City of Roses in 2004. He was instrumental from the outset.<\/p>\n

In his second season, Maduka inspired the team to the SAA Supa8 crown. This is one of the few major pieces of silverware in the club\u2019s 51-year existence. And so, when he hung up his boots in 2009, there was no way the club could let go of such a gem.<\/p>\n

The then-39-year-old grabbed the opportunity with both hands and was the team manager when Phunya Sele Sele stunned Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 to win the Telkom Knockout crown at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in December 2012.<\/p>\n

From there he was rotated in various positions within the team. But he didn\u2019t moan, ready to serve when called upon \u2013 even when the treatment appeared unfair. Remember when he was moved back to the team manager role after coach Luc Eymael refused to work with him?<\/p>\n

It was like he knew his time would come. He\u2019ll have to thank the charismatic Steve Komphela who was keen to work with him in the first team. When the latter left, he remained as an assistant to fellow club legend Lehlohonolo Seema.<\/p>\n

Also read:<\/b><\/p>\n

Bloemfontein Celtic have learnt how to deal with stage fright<\/p>\n

Amidst the club\u2019s financial woes they didn\u2019t drop their heads, injecting positivity in the players as Celtic finished in the top eight three seasons ago, qualifying for the Wafa Wafa competition.<\/p>\n

But during the Covid-19 disrupted season in July, Seema resigned to join Chippa United. Maduka ascended to the throne and helped the team finish in the top eight and final of the Nedbank Cup where they lost to Sundowns.<\/p>\n

But the 50-year-old didn\u2019t despair, guiding the team to a successive cup final \u2013 the MTN8 in just three months \u2013 in his first full season in charge. Maduka\u2019s men will be out to challenge for those first honours of the season against Orlando Pirates in Durban tonight.<\/p>\n

This clash should give Maduka more reason to believe that he can pull off the improbable. After all, it will be staged at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at 6pm tonight, and he\u2019ll recall it was the first trophy he won at the club (the SAA Supa8) before it was renamed.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s already lost to Pirates 1-0 in the league this season, but he\u2019ll hope to build on a CAF Confederation Cup preliminary win, with his rested players from that game expected to guide the team over the finish line.<\/p>\n

Captain Ndumiso Mabena has been a live wire for Celtic. Kudos should also go to Victor Letsoalo who has continued where he left off in the Nedbank, scoring the decisive goals in the quarter-finals against Sundowns and champions SuperSport United in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n

It will take a collective effort to tame the Sea Robbers who are favourites. Maduka, though, who says his team has learnt their lesson from their last cup defeat to Sundowns, knows just how important it is to \u201cwrite our own history\u201d.<\/p>\n

@Mihlalibaleka<\/b><\/p>\n

@IOLSport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. JOHANNESBURG – Having been at Bloemfontein Celtic for the past 16 years, John Maduka knows the club like the back of his hand. And that\u2019s why there\u2019s no person better equipped to guide the club back to the glory days than him. A well-travelled defender during his heydays \u2013 having had stints […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,17],"tags":[274,275],"class_list":["post-889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-sport","tag-africa-press","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nCeltic coach plots to write his own history - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/celtic-coach-plots-to-write-his-own-history\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celtic coach plots to write his own history\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – South-Africa. JOHANNESBURG – Having been at Bloemfontein Celtic for the past 16 years, John Maduka knows the club like the back of his hand. And that\u2019s why there\u2019s no person better equipped to guide the club back to the glory days than him. 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