Bloemfontein Celtic defender Alfred Ndengane has hailed Steve Komphela’s impact at the club after he picked up the Absa Premiership Player of the Month award, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

Ndengane has been one of the standout performers for Phunya Sele Sele as he has formed a rock-solid partnership with Lorenzo Gordinho to help guide Celtic to four wins and a draw in their opening five fixtures.

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Celtic’s defensive stability has been the bedrock of their early season form under Komphela. The Bloemfontein based club have kept four clean sheets this season and conceded only two goals, as they sit second only behind Bidvest Wits at the summit of the Absa Premiership.

Ndegane admitted while speaking at the awards press conference that Komphela has been the determining factor in turning the ‘team’ around and not just him as an individual.

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‘The manager told me I was Player of the Month and I was just like “haibo”.

‘But I know, it’s not about me, it’s about the team and thanks to the coach for bringing that solidity in the team and the focus, because without his influence on our focus we were never going to perform like this,’ added the defender.

‘We know what we want, we have a plan and the coach has always told us to stay calm and play our game. So that’s what we do and the results are because we listen to what he [Komphela] is always telling us.

‘I think I must thank the coach and the management [for the award],’ concluded Ndengane.

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Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix