Kaizer Chiefs star opens up about mental battle

The Kaizer Chiefs star from Durban says patience and mental strength helped him fight through a difficult season at Naturena.

Cele joined Amakhosi on January 27, 2025. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract as a free agent following his departure from Russian side Fakel Voronezh. Arriving with significant experience from his time in Portugal, Poland, and Russia. slot-chickenroad.org

KAIZER CHIEFS STAR THABO CELE FOCUSED ON STRONG FINISH

The 29-year-old has battled injuries and inconsistency during his second Betway Premiership campaign, limiting his involvement for Amakhosi across competitions.

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Cele has only managed 16 league appearances this seaso. He also missed a large part of Kaizer Chiefs’ CAF Confederation Cup journey. Competition for places also affected his game time.

Despite the setbacks, the midfielder has returned to the squad in recent weeks and featured in Amakhosi’s last four matches. This included the 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in Tshwane.

Speaking to the club’s media department before the Sundowns clash, Cele admitted it has not been an easy period both professionally and personally.

“Of course, like I said, me as an individual also it’s not been easy because you want to reach a certain level and a certain standard,” said Cele.

“But when things are not working out for you, you need to remain calm and just keep on working like what I’ve been doing.”

The former South African junior international says his focus never changed, even while spending long spells on the sidelines.

Competition in midfield has also remained intense at Kaizer Chiefs this season with Siphesihle Ndlovu and Lebohang Maboe among the players fighting for starting places.

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THABO CELE ON MENTAL STRUGGLE

Cele explained that staying mentally ready for opportunities has been one of the biggest challenges during his absence from the team.

“So, me coming back and trying to help the team in these last few games is something that I’ve been working towards, since I’ve been out for so many games,” he said.

“So, it’s a mental thing, to always be up for a comeback all the time you know. So that’s football. That’s how it goes. Sometimes you’re down, sometimes you’re up and then you’re down and try to bring yourself back.

“So that’s what I’ve been trying to do and I’m still at it, you know what I mean.”

The midfielder will now hope he can stay fit and continue contributing during the crucial closing weeks of the season.

USM Alger hold a slight upper hand in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup Final after a late Ahmed Khaldi penalty kick gave USM Alger a 1-0 first leg victory over Egypt’s Zamalek SC in Algiers.

The Algerian hosts’ goal-scoring problems this season were once again on full display at the Stade du 5 Juillet, where they made plenty of attacks but failed to seriously test Zamalek goalkeeper El Mahdi Soliman. Predictable efforts from USMA were repelled by a strong defense that was able to deal with numerous crosses and hopeful balls into the box.

For their part, the Egyptian club could very well have taken the lead back home. Chico Banza created danger on the counter-attack, with his shot across the six-yard box just failing to reach Oday Dabbagh before halftime. Another opportunity was wasted by the Angolan soon after before the halftime whistle.

But in the end it was a dramatic VAR intervention that gave the Algerian Cup champions the one-goal advantage. Zamalek appeared to snatch a crucial away goal when Juan Alvina scored following a counter-attack. However, a foul in the opposite penalty area on defender Hossam Abdelmaguid saw the goal cancelled and a penalty kick awarded to USMA in a stunning reversal.

Ahmed Khaldi smashed his spot kick into the top corner to seal victory deep into stoppage time, setting up an intriguing second leg where the Egyptian giants will attempt to overturn the deficit at home against a subborn USMA defense.

The post CAF Confederation Cup Final: USM Alger defeat Zamalek SC in dramatic first-leg clash appeared first on SportsAfrica - Sports news | Live scores | Match highlights | Betting tips.

L’USM Alger a pris une option précieuse sur le sacre continental. Opposés au Zamalek ce samedi soir au stade du 5-Juillet pour la manche aller de la finale de la Coupe de la Confédération africaine, les Rouge et Noir se sont imposés dans les derniers instants sur le score de 1-0, au terme d’un scénario totalement fou.

The post CAF CC (Finale aller) : L’USMA prend une option sur le titre ! appeared first on Football Algérien - DZFOOT.COM.

The Stormers’ thrilling draw against Ulster delivered three log points but exposed costly flaws at a crucial stage of the Vodacom URC season, writes MARK KEOHANE.

Writing for the Sunday Times, Keohane says the 38-38 result in Ulster strengthened the Stormers’ top-two push, but the failure to secure a bonus-point win leaves them vulnerable heading into the final round.

The Stormers scored five tries and fought back with a last-minute penalty try, yet the context stings.

“One never dismisses three league points away from home, but those three points the Stormers left Belfast with will be bitter-sweet,” writes Keohane.

A bonus-point victory would have put them in control of their destiny for a first-place finish. Instead, they now head to Cardiff needing a result while relying on others.

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The match highlighted a familiar contradiction. The Stormers attacked with ambition and invention, but their discipline and decision-making undermined their dominance, especially with Ulster reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes.

“Two potential tries were blown a metre from Ulster’s tryline because of ill-discipline, writes Keohane. “Individuals let themselves and the team down in crucial moments through ill-judgement, a refusal to listen to the referee’s constant cautions and a disregard for discipline.”

DOBBO: Brannas injury a ‘big blow’

The URC standings remain tight. A win against Cardiff could secure second place, while defeat could see them slide to fifth. The margin for error is gone.

For Keohane, the frustration is clear. The Stormers continue to balance moments of brilliance with costly lapses – and in a race this tight, that inconsistency could define their season.

FULL COLUMN

Photo: Stormers/Instagram

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L'exposition Africa Fashion, c'est une occasion pour célébrer et montrer la richesse de la mode africaine, entre autres le « streetwear afro-diasporique ». Une nouvelle génération de la diaspora africaine tente, à travers l'habillement, de réinventer les codes du streetwear classique en alliant tradition africaine et modernité. Un moyen pour eux de se reconnecter et de maintenir le lien avec leurs origines. Un reportage d'Habib Diao.