Mabokgwane: Ex-Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper signs new Bloemfontein Celtic deal

Former Bafana Bafana international Jackson Mabokgwane has extended his stay at Bloemfontein Celtic.

The experienced shot-stopper has been rotated with Sipho Chaine between the sticks at the Free State giants in the current campaign. 

Mabokgwane played an instrumental role in helping Phunya Sele Sele reach the MTN8 final earlier this season. 

His agent, Jazzman Mahlakgane has now disclosed that the well-travelled player has signed a new two-year contract with Celtic‚ with an option for a further year.

“We have renewed for another two years with an option [for a year] with Celtic‚ which they signed yesterday [on Monday],” Mahlakgane told Sowetan. 

“They have taken the option because there was an option left‚ and now they’ve given him another two years with another option.”

The new deal could keep Mabokgwane at Phunya Sele Sele until he is 36 having joined the club from Orlando Pirates ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Mabokgwane had fallen out of favour at Pirates where he was considered to be the third-choice keeper behind Wayne Sandilands and Siyabonga Mpontshane.

The Polokwane-born player was between the sticks as Pirates suffered their worst ever defeat in PSL history when they succumbed to an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in February 2017.

However, Mabokgwane, who was part of the Bafana squad at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals, did help the Buccaneers finish second in the PSL in back-to-back seasons between 2018 and 2019.

The former South Africa under-20 international was also part of the Bucs side which finished as runners-up in the 2017 Nedbank Cup and 2018 Telkom Knockout Cup. 

Mabokgwane made 23 appearances across all competitions for Celtic in his maiden campaign with the club and he also helped the team reach the 2020 Nedbank Cup final where they lost to Sundowns.

The diminutive shot-stopper has played 16 competitive matches thus far this term - including four MTN8 appearances and he kept two clean sheets in order to help Siwelele reach the final where Pirates beat them.

He has kept five clean sheets from 16 games and he will be hoping to start when Celtic take on TS Galaxy on Sunday as PSL action resumes following the recent Fifa international break.