Magesi FC head coach Clinton Larsen is unfazed about facing Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout final on November 23.
The veteran mentor, who has led Magesi to their first-ever cup final after defeating Richards Bay FC 1-0 on Saturday, believes his team will be the ones playing with less pressure, as many do not expect them to beat star-studded Sundowns.
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Larsen's achievement with Magesi is something that even Hollywood sports movie producers could hardly have imagined..
"You don't go to a final to lose, you go to a final to win it, and that's our aim," a confident Larsen tells KickOff.com in an exclusive interview.
"Regardless of who your opponent is, you want to win. Losers are never remembered, only winners are remembered.
"We will try to continue surprising people. I won't single anyone out. All our players have played crucial roles in our success—Elvis Chipezeze, Deolin Mekoa, Samuel Darpoh, [Tshepo] Kakora, and [Wonderboy] Makhubu are just a few top performers in the team."
Larsen mentioned his previous experience of winning against The Brazilians in a Telkom Knockout final whilst at the helm of Bloemfontein Celtic, highlighting that anything can happen in such matches.
"We just need to play well to make history," he emphasized.
The 53-year-old acknowledged that any opponent in the final would be challenging for his relatively small team.
"Marumo Gallants have a very good coach in Dan Malesela and a strong team, while Sundowns boast an excellent coach in Manqoba Mngqithi and a formidable squad," he noted.
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"We always expected a difficult final, no matter who we play. There are no easy games in the Betway Premiership. Being the underdogs means all the pressure rests on Sundowns in the final, making them the favorites," Larsen explained.
Reflecting on their journey to the final, he stated, "Our path has been the most challenging. We played three away games: against [Orlando] Pirates, TS Galaxy, and this weekend's match against Richards Bay."