Playing Sundowns is like playing Bafana, says coach Larsen

Magesi coach Clinton Larsen has likened facing Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout final to facing Bafana Bafana as many key Downs players are Bafana starters, embracing this as an “exciting challenge”.

Magesi and Sundowns face off in the Knockout decider at Free State Stadium on Saturday (6pm).

Six Sundowns players — Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Teboho Mokoena, Bathusi Aubass, Thapelo Morena and Iqraam Rayners — were in the starting XI when Bafana thumped South Sudan 3-0 in a dead rubber Afcon qualifier at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Rayners and Mokoena scored for the already qualified SA.

“It feels like we are actually playing the national team because last night [Tuesday] I watched six starters from Sundowns in the national team and a few on the bench and if you look at [Marcelo] Allende, [Lucas] Ribeiro and [Peter] Shalulile, had they been South Africans, they’d probably be in the national team too,'' Larsen said.

“So, you’re not just playing Sundowns, it’s like you’re playing against the national team, and that makes this challenge even more exciting for us as a club.”

Larsen also dismissed the notion that facing Sundowns, who had a number of players away on international duty, would be advantageous to them as they last played when they beat Richards Bay 1-0 in the semifinal of this competition on November 9.

“I disagree 1,000% [with the view that Magesi will have an advantage because key Sundowns players hardly rested because of the international break]. Sundowns, for the past 10 years, have mastered the art of playing every three days and they’ve been winning, so what’s going to change this time around? We are up against a formidable opponent,” Larsen said.

Larsen revealed that his troops looked relaxed albeit there were “normal” elements of nervousness. The Magesi coach gave a sense that the technical panel and senior players were working hard to calm the nerves of the inexperienced squad members.

“The players look relaxed even though there may be some nerves, some anxiousness which is normal because 90% of these boys have never played in a game of this magnitude,” Larsen said.

“So, it’s normal for there to be a bit of anxiety but that’s what we are here for as coaches, as senior players as well ... to calm them down and get them to relax as much as possible and enjoy the occasion.”