I have respect for Larsen – Mngqithi ahead of final

As Mamelodi Sundowns gear up to face Magesi in the Carling Knockout final at Free State Stadium on Saturday (6pm), coach Manqoba Mngqithi has detailed how he highly respects Clinton Larsen as his opponent.

In 2012, Larsen guided Bloemfontein Celtic to a 1-0 victory over Sundowns to clinch the Telkom Knockout title at Moses Mabhida Stadium. He was also the coach when Phunya Sele Sele thumped the Brazilians 5-0 in 2015 in a league match while Mngqithi was assistant to Pitso Mosimane.

“I always have a lot of respect for coaches that have coached at almost all the levels of football because they are not talking about something they don't know. They have experienced it, there are a lot of people that have so much to say in football but they are limited because they have not experienced practically to coach in an environment that may not have anything to support you,” Mngqithi said.

“But you are still expected to bring the results. Clinton’s journey is probably as close as possible to my journey in football. So, I have a lot of respect for that, and I’m going into this match with a coach that I know is not sitting on his laurels.”

Mngqithi emphasised that they won’t take the less-fancied Magesi lightly. “Larsen has always done well, and I shared these stories with the players because I want them to know that they’re not playing just any other coach.

“When he was at Celtic, I think it was my first season here. He beat us with five goals because we were too big, and we thought we didn’t deserve to concede and we opened and they scored. He is the same coach that has won this trophy against Sundowns. I respect Clinton so much as a coach because I know he may not have as many resources but with the little that he has, he knows what it means to beat a favourite as an underdog.”

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