MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
CLINTON Larsen might be leading a club that is totally new to South African Premiership football in Magesi FC, but the Durbanite has coached at the country’s elite league level long enough to know what it takes to survive.
As he looked ahead to the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign, Larsen was not about to fall for the lure of the TV cameras and microphones thrust into his face and make silly pronouncements, as many rookie club coaches have done in the past.
“The ambitions of the club are simple: To stay in the league and be as competitive as we can be as a club,” he said at the launch of the season.
“I am not naive enough to be talking about top four, winning a trophy or top eight. I’ve been in this league for a long, long time and I know how difficult it is.”
Though returning to the elite league, having been with Magesi in the Motsepe Foundation Championship the previous campaign, Larsen is no newbie to elite league football as he has coached clubs such as the now defunct Bloemfontein Celtic, Maritzburg United, Golden Arrows, Chippa United and Polokwane City.
“For me, it is the old cliché of trying to get to 30 points as quickly as possible and once we’ve reached that target, is to look at how many games are left and what can our (new) target be.
“For us it is all about survival. It is about competing and, most importantly, enjoying what has been presented to us as a club, and that is participating in the Premiership.
“We’ve got to enjoy it. If we don’t, we never will, so I just hope that everybody embraces the challenges and looks forward to the excitement.”
Larsen believes they have made the right moves towards strengthening their squad for the rigours of premiership football.
“We know we’ve got our limitations in terms of the type of players we can attract to the team. But in saying so, we’ve managed to bring some players with PSL experience.
“Even though some of them have been deemed surplus to requirements at their former clubs, I believe they still have enough miles in their legs to make a difference at Magesi.
“I am really expecting those players – the likes of Malosane (Mokhele), (Kgaogelo) Sekgota, Menzi Ndwandwe and Bongani Mpandle, just to name a few – all these are quality players who never got the chance at their former clubs. I am hoping they bring that hunger to perform to Magesi Football Club.”
They kickstart their Premiership campaign against fellow Limpopo-based side Sekhukhune United on Wednesday, September 18.
Catch me on my online radio show Inside SA Soccer with Bra Jakes on www.omniaudio.africa from 8am-9am and 12pm-1pm speaking about this and other South African and African football matters.