Sam: We can challenge for the title

On Celtic’s current form

We are currently doing well and if all goes well we can challenge for the title. We have 28 points and we are only nine points behind the log leaders, Bidvest Wits, who are on 37. If we can continue with what we have been doing, we can put in a serious challenge for the title. There are 33 points still to play for and if we can collect as many as we possibly can, we could stage a serious fight for it.

On what motivates them

I think it’s our willingness to work hard for the team and for one another. We have been supportive of one another and we are always eager to do well for the team. For example, I am not playing at the moment, but I have never once felt like an outsider and that is because of the support that we give to each other in the team. We are always encouraging one another and we give support to whoever is selected by the technical team. That is why you see us doing so well this season. Even when we had the much talked about financial woes, we stuck to it on the field of play and fought for the club. We never get pressure from the coaches and the management and that has allowed us to do well. We are playing with a clear mindset. We will continue to fight so that we can finish in a respectable position. We initially wanted to finish in the Top Eight and we have since seen that we are within a chance to finish higher up or even as champions, so we decided that we are not going to limit ourselves if the opportunity avails itself.

On the bright start to the 2018/19 season

I think what we went through at the beginning of the season is what made us start this season with a bang. You will remember that we had financial problems, which sometimes led to us not being paid on time or not being paid at all. So the teams that we were facing were coming at us with the mentality that we had these problems and therefore we were not stable, but that was their mistake. We knew that we had those problems, but we never let that stand in the way of us fighting for the badge of the team. We knew that everything would turn out ok for us and it did eventually.

On the role played by the senior players

The senior guys have taken it upon themselves to lead the team. Their experience is really helping us. They are very good at lifting the team. Players like Wandisile Letlabika and Rendani Ndou, to mention just two, are really doing a great job in motivating us as young players in the team, especially this second half of the season. They keep telling us that we are edging closer to the finish line and therefore we cannot afford to drop the ball. That is why we are always motivated to do well. They even keep us, the players that are currently not playing, motivated because they tell us that we must keep pushing hard at training and that the chance will present itself and, when it does, we must be fit and ready.

On the team’s supporters

Masele are also playing a massive role in motivating us to do well. Even if we are trailing or losing the game, they never stop singing and chanting in the stands. They always cheer the team on, irrespective of the result, and that’s not something you see every day. They will sing even when we are 3-0 down. They never stop singing and chanting, which really encourages the players on the field to push and try harder. These supporters are unique and are one of a kind. After the game, whether we’ve won or lost the game, they stay behind and sing. That is why before the game starts, we go and greet them and, after the game, before we go to the dressing room, we go and greet them and salute them for the wonderful support they always give us.

On Celtic’s Nedbank Cup hopes

We’ve been drawn against NFD side Richards Bay FC. They knocked out Free Sate Stars in the Last 32, so we will not take them lightly. We know how difficult it can be to play an NFD side in this competition, having played Super Eagles in the last round, where we had to sweat for a win. We have not won a cup in a long time and we would like to add something in the cabinet. Like I said about the league, if we see an opportunity is there, we will take it with both hands. A lot of people are saying that we are lucky to draw an NFD team two times in a row, but we would rather play an Absa Premiership side because these NFD teams have nothing to lose when facing a topflight side. Bongani Sam, Bloemfontein Celtic defender

This week we hear from Bongani Sam – Bloemfontein Celtic defender