Magesi coach Larsen eyes his second shock of Sundowns in a cup final

Clinton Larsen has been here before and ended up with the last laugh. 

Magesi FC’s coach Larsen is approaching the Carling Knockout final against overwhelming favourites Mamelodi Sundowns at Free State Stadium on Saturday (6pm), with a sense of déjà vu. 

It was 12 years ago when Larsen guided the less-fancied Bloemfontein Celtic to a memorable but controversial 1-0 victory over the Brazilians at Moses Mabhida Stadium to lift the Telkom Knockout in what remains the coach's only cup final appearance.

Many might remember Joel Mogorosi's 47th-minute headed goal that separated the teams and that it was hotly contested as replays raised questions about whether the whole ball crossed the line. Fewer might recall that Larsen was Phunya Sele Sele's coach that day.

The former Manning Rangers and Orlando Pirates star has another opportunity to break Sundowns’ hearts, and he hopes for history to repeat itself, the only difference this time being that the match is taking place in Bloemfontein and not Durban. 

Just like 12 years ago, Larsen eliminated Pirates on the way to the final, and he hopes this is a good omen for the top-flight rookies from Polokwane who will rank among the unlikeliest teams to win a trophy in recent times if they go all the way. 

“It was a difficult path to the final [12 years ago], I have a sense of déjà vu because the end result was positive for me then,” he told TimesLIVE Premium from Polokwane as he prepared his players for the second-biggest game of their lives. The biggest, arguably, was their 3-1 win against Milford FC at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in May that clinched their 2023-24 Motsepe Foundation Championship title and promotion to the major leagues.

The coach said Magesi are keyed up to chase glory at Free State Stadium on Saturday, but the occasion is also one for his players to enjoy. For the team with nothing to lose, some savouring of the moment and desire to throw caution to the wind at times, rather than tensing up, might be their best shot of pulling off a shock in a matchup that decidedly pits a David against the trophy machine Goliath of South African football.  

“This is not for me, but it is for the players. I have been to a final and won it before and I have been to a lot of quarterfinals and semifinals. 

“So, for me it is just about trying to improve the team I inherited and that is what we are working very hard for. Since the day I arrived at the club, we have tried to bring in organisation, structure and discipline to the group. 

“We have managed to steer the team in the right direction and I will continue to do so as long as I am here.” 

At the beginning of the season, most of the Magesi players were taking baby steps into top flight football; three months later they are in a major cup final and Larsen has reminded his charges this can be the turning point of their careers. 

“It is not just about making history, it is also about their careers,” said Larsen. 

“Not many players get an opportunity to play in a cup final during their careers and for some of them after three months of professional football they are in a major cup final. They must embrace and enjoy the moment and just go out there and give their best. 

“I always make the example to my players about assistant coach Papi Zothwane, he was a great player in his heyday, but he never played in a cup final and he played for some big teams. 

“It just goes to show how rare these occasions are, they must grab this opportunity with both hands. This is an occasion that can change their lives.” 

The experienced Larsen — who can name teams like Celtic, Maritzburg United, Lamontville Golden Arrows, Chippa United and Polokwane City among those he has coached — said it is not easy to reach cup finals with smaller clubs. 

“I should know better because I have been coaching for 21 years and this is only my second appearance in a final. That should tell you how difficult it is [to reach finals] when you coach small to medium-sized clubs. 

“You go to Golden Arrows, Chippa United, Cape Town City and Stellenbosch and you will see there are few finals among these teams. We have worked very hard to get to where we are.  

“We played three away games against Pirates, TS Galaxy and Richards Bay, it was not easy. But we are a hardworking group of people [coaches and players] and we just go out there to give an honest hard day's work. Sometimes that is enough in football to get you positive results.” 

Magesi are in their first season in the Betway Premiership, where Larsen and the rookies are fighting in every game as they aim to improve eleventh spot on the log with six points from as many matches. 

Let’s just look at the three games that Sundowns played in this tournament, that alone should tell you what a tough task we have ahead of us. They beat Arrows 5-0, and then Chiefs 4-0 and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants in the semis. That alone reveals why they are a quality team that has had success for the past seven to 10 years and still a dominant force in the country.

—  Clinton Larsen

“If you remember my remarks during preseason, somebody asked what a good season for Magesi would look like. And I said keeping the team in the Premier Soccer League and a good cup run and there we are. 

“A few months later, we have had a good cup run and we are fighting to be competitive in the league. That was my answer in preseason, but I don’t blame people for not taking us seriously, because Cape Town Spurs is still fresh in the minds of a lot of people.” 

Though he fancies his chances in the final, Larsen knows Magesi have their work cut out for them against a star-studded juggernaut who are seven-time successive Premiership champions and perennial Caf Champions League knockout stage qualifiers, including semifinals in the last two. 

“Let’s just look at the three games that Sundowns played in this tournament, that alone should tell you what a tough task we have ahead of us. They beat Arrows 5-0, and then Chiefs 4-0 and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants in the semis. 

“That alone reveals why they are a quality team that has had success for the past seven to 10 years and are still a dominant force in the country. We have our backs to the wall like we have had in ever game this season. 

“But we want to make life difficult for Sundowns and we will put up our best performance. They always dominate possession, always had the better chances and most clean sheets in the season and that is nothing new. I think they have won enough trophies and the rest of us need a few.”