Mamelodi Sundowns coach Mngqithi admits off-form Bloemfontein Celtic make him nervous

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi says he would rather have been meeting a Bloemfontein Celtic side who are winning games.

Celtic have already beaten Sundowns this season - in the opening match of the 2020/21 campaign when the Free State side recorded a 1-0 victory over Masandawana in Pretoria in the MTN8 quarter-finals.

Of late though Phunya Sele Sele have struggled in the league and are winless in their last five matches, three of which have ended in draws.

However, a Celtic side which has battled with off-the-field financial issues over the past few seasons, have shown themselves to be a very resilient bunch and seem to thrive when the chips are down. That's Mngqithi's concern as Sundowns head into Tuesday evening's clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium (5pm kick off)

“We know it won’t be easy. They haven’t been doing exceptionally well in recent times, but they are more dangerous when they are like this. Celtic are a hard-running team," the Downs co-coach said, as quoted by the Sowetan.

“You would want them to come at you when they have a little bit of momentum, but when they’ve been struggling they have a tendency of coming up against bigger teams and cause a problem.

"It’s a very tricky affair," the Brazilians' tactician added. "They are the ones that took us out of the MTN8. We know the quality they present in their tactical play. Their structure is a little bit awkward, so it will be a fight."

The Tshwane side head into the match on the back of a 0-0 draw against SuperSport United last Saturday. Sundowns remain unbeaten in the league this term, along with Swallows FC and Golden Arrows.

With 25 points from 11 matches, the defending league champions are above Swallows only on goal difference. The Birds host Chippa United on Wednesday evening in Dobsonville.