Magesi prove their mettle as coach Larsen declares they won't be pushovers
|Published
Smiso Msomi
Magesi FC head coach Clinton Larsen believes his side has proven they will not be pushovers as they navigate their first season in the top flight. Dikwena tse Meetse sealed a spot in the Carling Knockout Cup final by edging Richards Bay at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.
The Limpopo-based club followed in the footsteps of neighbours Baroka, who also made the final of this competition in 2018 (and eventually went on to win it). Magesi have taken to life amongst the country’s elite clubs with great confidence, boasting a few high-profile scalps to their name.
Sundays are for lovers 😄. And we sure love our supporters ⚽🐊💙! Your unwavering commitment keeps the boys going 🙏🏾. #DikwenaTsaMeetse 🐊#TheBlueNation pic.twitter.com/YUu4R3nL2H
— Magesi Football Club (@Magesi_FC) November 10, 2024
In their seven-game unbeaten run, Magesi knocked out Orlando Pirates from the league cup and also put up a memorable showing to draw against Kaizer Chiefs. Larsen and his boys sit just a point outside the Top 8 on the Betway Premiership standings heading into the second international break of the season.
Speaking to the media in Umlazi after their semi-final against the Natal Rich Boyz, Larsen expressed that he felt his team was slowly making people realise their potential. He also suggested that the journey of Cape Town Spurs last season may have blinded people into assuming the next promoted team would suffer the same fate.
“You remind me of the Betway Premiership launch when Thomas asked and said every team that looks at Magesi looks at free three points, but we are slowly changing people’s minds that we are not that easy to beat,” he said.
“Maybe they are comparing us to what happened to Cape Town Spurs the other season; maybe that is the reason why people thought that way.”
“But like I said, my job is to try and get this team as organised as possible and to make them as difficult to beat as possible, and I think we are on the right track,” he expressed.
Magesi have navigated the Carling Knockout Cup by conquering enemy territory, having played all three of their games away. Larsen, who won the tournament under its previous sponsors with the now-defunct Bloemfontein Celtic, has likened this journey to the one he had with Siwelele.
“Yeah, it hasn't been an easy probe to the final; it reminds me of my 2012 win with Bloemfontein Celtic – where we played Pirates in the quarters, went away to Free State Stars and won 1-0 there in Bethlehem, and then faced Sundowns in the finals. It is a similar run of games, with quality opposition right through.
“But there are two things that got us to this point. The first is the fighting spirit, like I have just mentioned, and the second part, which is my job, is to get this team organised. The players have bought into the way we want to defend, with unbelievable pressing for 90 minutes,” added Larsen.