By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Leonard Ponoane is hurt and almost speechless following the sale of his former club Bloemfontein Celtic.
Phunya Sele Sele were sold to Shauwn Mpisane by Max Tshabalala over the weekend, a decision the South African football fraternity has met with mixed feelings.
Ponoane, a member of the Celtic squad which won the Mainstay Cup under coach Dave Roberts in 1985, strongly believes that selling the team to an outsider is a very big blow to football followers in the Free State province, especially in Bloemfontein.
“I’m hurt, this is very sad news for Free State football. It’s very bad because Celtic’s a people team,” Ponoane remarked.
“However, one must point it out that the team struggled financially for years. Celtic’s presence in Bloemfontein helped a lot of people in as far as making a living is concerned.”
Ponoane succeeded the late Michael ‘Juda’ Yeliwe as Celtic captain in 1986 and he formed a bond with the club’s former owner Ntate Petrus ‘Whitehead’ Molemela, who passed away in March 2017, during all the years he spent there as a player and assistant coach.
“You must remember that l spent almost my entire playing career at Celtic. I was emotionally attached to the club,” the former Ria Stars coach said.
Ponoane from Odendaalrus in Welkom is now a co-coach at Free State Stars, the only Premier Soccer League (PSL) club in the Free State province.
