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The Betway Premiership newcomers, Magesi FC, put on a stunning performance and made history on Saturday, defeating Richards Bay 1-0 in the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals to advance to the final.
Magesi will face the formidable Manqoba Mngqithi’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the final on November 23 at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Dikwena tsa Metsee earned automatic promotion to the Betway Premiership from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the end of last season after winning the 2023/24 Motsepe Championship. Magesi entered the Premiership full of confidence, having won the championship with an eight-point margin over second-placed University of Pretoria FC.
In the first half of their inaugural Premiership season, Magesi currently sit 11th, above Cape Town City, AmaZulu, and TS Galaxy. They have recorded one win, three draws, and two defeats.
Magesi’s match against Sundowns in the final will not be their first encounter with a tough rival in the Premiership, having previously faced Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. In those two encounters against the Soweto giants, Magesi were undeniably the better side.
They handed Jose Riveiro his first loss of the season when they defeated Orlando Pirates 3-2 in the first round of the Carling Knockout Cup, and they later held Kaizer Chiefs to a 2–2 draw, earning a point and climbing up the table.
All roads now lead to Free State, where Magesi will square off with the four-time winners of this cup, Mamelodi Sundowns, who were eliminated in the first round of the competition last season by the now-struggling TS Galaxy.
Clinton Larsen, Magesi’s head coach, commended his side for reaching the final in their debut season, stating that it was not an easy journey to get there. He praised his players’ hunger to win and their understanding of his philosophy.
“There’s two things that got us to this point, the one thing is the fighting spirit like I have just mentioned and the second part – which is my job is to get this team organised and the players have bought into the way we want to defend, unbelievable pressing for 90 minutes,” he said.
