By Bongani Tshabalala
Bloemfontein Celtic have rewarded club captain and striker Ndumiso Mabena with a new three-year deal.
Bloem Celtic announced this at a media briefing that took place in the outskirts of Bloemfontein.
Mabena’s initial deal was set to expire in June 2022 but the club moved swiftly to tie him down to a long-term deal to avoid losing him to any club that could be eyeing his services.
“Bloemfontein Celtic is delighted to announce that Ndumiso Mabena has extended his stay at the club until June 2024. The journey continues!” said the club spokesperson.
Mabena, 33, is now one of the senior players in the current Bloemfontein Celtic squad as he has been with them since July 2017.
He joined the Bloemfontein-based side from the now-defunct Platinum Stars to continue his career revival following what was rather a frustrating stint with Orlando Pirates.
Mabena spent five years at Pirates between 2009 and 2014 and he would only be limited to a mere 71 appearances across all competitions.
He scored eight goals and registered eight assists for the Buccaneers.
However, in less than four years at Celtic, Mabena has already played 107 competitive matches, scoring 25 goals and assisting in a further 15 goals to date.
The news of Mabena extending his stay will undoubtedly come as a huge relief to the Celtic supporters, especially now that the club is still struggling financially and could lose a few of their top players ahead of the next season.
