Magesi FC coach Clinton Larsen has explained why he’s feeling like an American actor and producer, Tom Cruise, ahead of their Carling Knockout Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at the weekend.
Dikwena tsa Meetse will take on Bafana Ba Style in this year’s Carling Knockout final at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 23 November 2024.
The much-anticipated final showdown between the Limpopo-based outfit and the Chloorkop side will kick off at 18:00.
Magesi defeated Richards Bay FC FC 1-0 at the King Zwelithini Stadium in KZN to book the tournament’s final spot, whereas Masandawana got the better of Marumo Gallants with a 2-0 scoreline a week ago.
Larsen was speaking during the Carling Knockout open media day in Polokwane on Wednesday morning.
WHY IS CLINTON LARSEN FEELING LIKE TOM CRUISE?
Larsen, the seasoned coach, mentioned that they are heading into the final, which appears to be as challenging as ‘Mission Impossible’ to win, and he will need to channel his inner Tom Cruise character as they are up against one of the top teams in Africa.
He further added that nobody is giving them a chance as they are a new side in the Betway Premiership and are deemed the underdogs.
However, the coach went on to refer to the 2012 Telkom Knockout final, in which he defeated Sundowns 1-0 while coaching Bloemfontein Celtic, as he thinks that history could repeat itself.
“Like I said, in 2021, nobody gave Bloemfontein Celtic a chance either, and we won it. So, as long as we go and fight to the nail out there and the players are prepared to do that, we will always have a chance,” said Larsen.
MAGESI DARE TO DREAM AGAINST SUNDOWNS
“You know, even though it might seem like ‘Mission Impossible’ and maybe me being Tom Cruise, you go into this encounter thinking Sundowns beat Golden Arrows 5-0 in the Round of 16, in the quarter-finals they beat Kaizer Chiefs 4-0, and in the semis, they beat Marumo Gallants 2-0. So, you might be thinking Magesi stands no chance of beating Sundowns.
“But the positives we can take out of that are the fact that every one of those teams created chances against Mamelodi Sundowns. When you play them, the only difference is whether you take those chances or not because you will get chances.”
Larsen continued: “So, for us on the day, it is going to be important to have a little bit of luck. Defensively, we have to be resolute, and when we create a few chances, we need to bury them, and that’s going to give us a chance to win this game.
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