Bloemfontein Celtic caretaker coach Lehlohonolo Seema was left frustrated again by his side’s impotence in front of goal that saw them slip to a 2-0 defeat at Ajax Cape Town on Saturday.
Early strikes from Prince Nxumalo and Bantu Mzwakali had Celtic on the back foot‚ but from there on in they dominated the game‚ creating numerous chances that were spurned.
It is nothing new for Seema‚ his side have managed a paltry 15 goals in their 28 league matches this season‚ the sole reason why they sit just three points above the relegation places.
It is a telling statistic that the side have the fifth-best defensive record in the league‚ yet still find themselves with an anxious final two games to avoid the drop.
Seema says composure in the box and a bit of luck would go a long way for his players.
“In the second half we had some good chances‚ but you know when you are struggling and already 2-0 down … we were rushing things‚” he said.
“You saw their goals‚ they were very calm and collected‚ and just put the ball in the back of the net.
“But our guys … we get behind the Ajax defence‚ we just have the goalkeeper to beat and we want to kill him . I don’t know why‚ I mean‚ he is just a human being. Just put the ball into the net.
“But it’s the story of our team. We have been trying to correct that all season. But we can’t buy the luck‚ we can’t seem to be calm in the box. We work on it in training all the time‚ it has been one of the dominant aspects that we focus on.
“But at the moment there is nothing more we can do‚ we just tell them to keep going and hope for some luck.”
Seema says bringing in a striker or two in the next transfer window will be a priority for the team.
“The strike-force is an area we need to re-enforce in the transfer market once the season has closed‚” he said.
“We are not bad defensively‚ we are one of those teams that has not conceded much‚ but attacking … it’s not normal!”
Positives for Seema in defeat were the fact that his side caused Ajax plenty of trouble and moved the ball around the pitch well.
“I can’t fault the fight of the boys‚ there were games like against Baroka when in the first half the boys were still in the dressingroom‚ but not this game. We showed fight to the last minute.”
Up next is a crucial home provincial derby against Free State Stars on Wednesday‚ where victory could see Celtic seal their top-flight status for another season.
They travel to Maritzburg United in the final round of the campaign.
“It is tough at the moment‚ but we have two games to go and we have to grind and make sure if we don’t get three points‚ we get a point. But it’s still in our hands‚ it’s up to us.”
Home has not been a happy place for Celtic this season though‚ they have both scored fewer (seven in 14 games) and conceded more (16) goals in front of their home fans compared to their away trips
Seema left pulling his hair out after Celtic once again fail to find the back of the net
Early strikes from Prince Nxumalo and Bantu Mzwakali had Celtic on the back foot‚ but from there on in they dominated the game‚ creating numerous chances that were spurned.
It is nothing new for Seema‚ his side have managed a paltry 15 goals in their 28 league matches this season‚ the sole reason why they sit just three points above the relegation places.
It is a telling statistic that the side have the fifth-best defensive record in the league‚ yet still find themselves with an anxious final two games to avoid the drop.
Seema says composure in the box and a bit of luck would go a long way for his players.
“In the second half we had some good chances‚ but you know when you are struggling and already 2-0 down … we were rushing things‚” he said.
“You saw their goals‚ they were very calm and collected‚ and just put the ball in the back of the net.
“But our guys … we get behind the Ajax defence‚ we just have the goalkeeper to beat and we want to kill him . I don’t know why‚ I mean‚ he is just a human being. Just put the ball into the net.
“But it’s the story of our team. We have been trying to correct that all season. But we can’t buy the luck‚ we can’t seem to be calm in the box. We work on it in training all the time‚ it has been one of the dominant aspects that we focus on.
“But at the moment there is nothing more we can do‚ we just tell them to keep going and hope for some luck.”
Seema says bringing in a striker or two in the next transfer window will be a priority for the team.
“The strike-force is an area we need to re-enforce in the transfer market once the season has closed‚” he said.
“We are not bad defensively‚ we are one of those teams that has not conceded much‚ but attacking … it’s not normal!”
Positives for Seema in defeat were the fact that his side caused Ajax plenty of trouble and moved the ball around the pitch well.
“I can’t fault the fight of the boys‚ there were games like against Baroka when in the first half the boys were still in the dressingroom‚ but not this game. We showed fight to the last minute.”
Up next is a crucial home provincial derby against Free State Stars on Wednesday‚ where victory could see Celtic seal their top-flight status for another season.
They travel to Maritzburg United in the final round of the campaign.
“It is tough at the moment‚ but we have two games to go and we have to grind and make sure if we don’t get three points‚ we get a point. But it’s still in our hands‚ it’s up to us.”
Home has not been a happy place for Celtic this season though‚ they have both scored fewer (seven in 14 games) and conceded more (16) goals in front of their home fans compared to their away trips
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