“As a team we are working hard together and are playing well. We know the game will be tough, but our morale is high and we believe we can win,” continues Khaile.
If Celtic were ever favourites to beat Wits it would be now, following the Students somewhat disastrous collapse in the league of late. Roger de Sa’s men have only managed to claim four points in their last nine league games which have included five losses, most recently a 3-0 hammering by Kaizer Chiefs in their last league fixture.
The Students’ slip of form has seen them drop down to 11th on the log on 21 points, while their upcoming rivals are four places above them in 7th spot on 27 points.
Mark Haskins, however, believes that his team has been a little unlucky and it won’t be long before Wits are back on the right track: “We have played well, luck has just deserted us. We haven’t played bad, but there is obviously something we are just not doing right.”
“We need to double our efforts and start grinding out good results. This game against Celtic is a crucial one for us. The result we dictate whether we look ahead of us or behind us for the remainder of the season,” said Haskins.
When the two teams came face to face earlier in the season no winner could be found as the game ended in a 1-1 draw, but Khaile is adamant that won’t be the case on Wednesday: “We want nothing but the win against Wits and we are determined to keep a clean sheet against them.”
Phunya Sele Sele did display an impressive defensive performance against a highly attacking minded SuperSport United in their league mach over the past weekend which ended in a 0-0 draw. “SuperSport were not dangerous against us because our defence was good,” confirms Celtic’s central defender, “and it will be the same against Wits.”
Still, Haskins is adamant that it is anyone’s game come match day: “It will all boil down to who wants it most, and we definitely want it.”
Hovering dangerously close to the bottom of the log, Wits will want to end their miserable run in the league and where better to start their climb out of the rut than against Celtic? A boost to the Students team will be the return of Sandile Sibande, who is back from suspension.
In conclusion, in regards to the importance of the game, Haskins says, “We need to find the win from somewhere. We don’t want to have to start looking over our shoulders to see who is chasing us down.”
