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BIG MATCH FEATURE: Magesi v Sundowns

rugby22 November 2024 10:01| © Backpage TXT
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Clinton Larsen’s Magesi FC will chase an upset victory over Mamelodi Sundowns when the teams meet in the final of the 2024 Carling Knockout, set for the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

MATCH BACKGROUND

Magesi coach Larsen has shocked Sundowns in a major cup final before, notably leading Bloemfontein Celtic to a 1-0 triumph over the heavily-favoured Brazilians in the 2012 League Cup final (then known as the Telkom Knockout, today the Carling Knockout).

Joel Mogorosi scored the only goal in that famous match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The odds are similarly stacked against Dikwena tsa Meetse, who are chasing their first top-flight trophy and have very meagre resources compared to Sundowns.

The Tshwane club have claimed the last seven PSL titles in succession and are looking to win the League Cup for a fifth time in their illustrious history.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Magesi FC claimed the biggest upset of the first round when they defeated Orlando Pirates 3-2 away from home in mid-October, with an own goal from the Buccaneers’ Thabiso Sesane sandwiched by strikes from Delano Abrahams and Edmore Chirambadare.

The Limpopo based club then saw off TS Galaxy and Richards Bay (both via 1-0 scorelines) in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.

Lehlogonolo Mokone netted against the Rockets and Godfrey Mashigo struck the only goal against the Natal Rich Boyz.

Mamelodi Sundowns, meanwhile, have romped through the Carling Knockout in prolific style.

They crushed Golden Arrows 5-0 in the first round, before racking up an emphatic 4-0 away win over fellow heavyweights Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinal.

A semifinal against Marumo Gallants proved more challenging, but they ultimately triumphed thanks to second-half strikes from Lucas Ribeiro and Neo Maema.

WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING

Magesi FC coach Clinton Larsen on his team’s need to capitalise on their chances:

“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 quarterfinals they beat Kaizer Chiefs 4-0, and in the semis, they beat Marumo Gallants 2-0. So, you might be thinking Magesi stand 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.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi on his unhappiness with the final’s place in the schedule, and their desire to add another trophy to the cabinet:

“I don’t think the area [time] where the final is put is fair to anyone. Not immediately after the Fifa break, but sometimes you must just accept whatever comes because I think where we are playing Sekhukhune United [the following Saturday, 30 November, in the league], we could have played the final there and it would have been better.

“Maybe you could still have a league match on that weekend, but not immediately after the Fifa break when we have got so many players that are in national teams. But what can we do? We have to go with what we have and we must accept that burdens and blessings always go together.”

He added, “It will always be important for Sundowns to win every match, whether it is a cup final, league match or friendly. It is just important to make sure we win it. We have enough quality to ensure we win almost every fixture that we play.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lehlogonolo Mokone (Magesi FC)

The 30-year-old defender has played every minute of Magesi’s Betway Premiership and Carling Knockout campaigns, and his presence in the heart of the backline will be key to quelling the threat offered by Mamelodi Sundowns.

Mokone also offers up an attacking presence of his own at set pieces, notably scoring the winner in the quarterfinal against TS Galaxy.

Lucas Ribeiro (Mamelodi Sundowns)

The 26-year-old Brazilian has been in outstanding form for Sundowns this season, registering seven goals and four assists in 12 appearances across all competitions.

Such has been his influence in a deeper-lying attacking role that he has mitigated the long-term absence of Brazilians legend Themba Zwane.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

In head-to-head terms, this will be a first-ever meeting of Magesi FC and Mamelodi Sundowns.

The former club was only promoted to the top-flight Betway Premiership earlier in 2024, and the teams have yet to cross paths in the 2024-25 league season, while they have also not faced each other in the Nedbank Cup.

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