Like a veteran sculptor, Magesi FC coach, Clinton Larsen, is masterfully crafting his work of art in a calculated bid to assemble a team of generational mix.
Larsen has been pondering a gruelling journey he has to navigate with his newly promoted side as the 2024/25 Betway Premier Soccer League blasts off in mid-September.
The Limpopo-based outfit will kick off their maiden top-flight campaign against Sekhukhune United on September 18 at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Dikwena tsa Meetse, as the team is affectionately known up north, will return to the same football fortress for the eagerly awaited Limpopo derby against Polokwane City. The game between the giants of the north has all the hallmarks of a swashbuckling affair.
Since their recent promotion to the elite league, the winds of change have been sweeping from all fronts, and those breezes are nurturing fresh talent from relative obscurity.
Magesi FC earned their promotion to the top tier with remarkable flourish when they annihilated Milford FC 3-1 to win the Motsepe Foundation Championship with two games to spare.
Though camaraderie did not exist in the “Blue Nation” back then, the players and technical staff now stand head and shoulders with the aristocrats of South African football.
Coach Clinton Larsen: Speaking to Sunday World this week, Larsen said his charges will be out to prove that winning the National First Division was no fluke.
Larsen has acknowledged that the PSL is a cut-throat business that requires big match temperament all season long.
He said he was pleased of the generational blend in the team, saying the idea of fusing novelty acts with veterans has created massive depth in the style of play.
Larsen reckons the veterans in the squad will provide the catalyst for comprehensive match-winning adventures while the newbies will bring a new style never seen before.
The gaffer is expected to rely heavily on an old guard that features the likes of goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze and the attacking duo of Gift Motupa and Kgaogelo Sekgota.
Gift Motupa and Kgaogelo -Sekgota: Motupa comes with vast experience, having played a handful of topflight clubs among them Orlando Pirates and reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns while Sekgota was recently at Stellenbosch FC and also turned out for Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs.
“The presence of these experienced players is a huge motivation for the newcomers. Most importantly is that a combination of veterans and novices provides a balanced game plan.
“The elite league requires intelligent players and our team is gifted in the regard.
“The kind of football we are going to play is going to be fail-safe ball possession and fierce attacking. This is how you manage your game plan with relative ease,” Larsen explained.
Captain Elvis Chipezeze: Skipper Chipezeze and Larsen were in congruence when they said the start of the new season spells an exciting moment for the youngsters who want to make a significant impact in the top flight football.
The Zimbabwean international shot stopper said since their promotion, every player has been relishing the prospects of playing against so-called big teams.
He said: “The attitude in the camp has changed drastically and so is the club culture. It is incumbent upon every player to prove that his presence in the squad is not just to add to the number but to make a significant contribution. During the off-season, the club’s management has made some signings which we hope will add more value to the team.
“We have been hard at work during training sessions and friendlies and the game plan is coming together.
“Coach Clinton has brought different methods and now the team is gelling. We are bringing all the artillery regiments as we prepare for the league without being intimidated by our opponents irrespective of their previous track records.
“Our mission is to ensure that we collect maximum points in each and every fixture to remain on a better position on the log standings.
“The word relegation is hardly used in our club vocabulary and therefor our detractors could forget about seeing us being relegated at the end of the league season.”
