Manqoba Mngqithi has outlined his respect for Clinton Larsen ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns’ Carling Knockout Cup final against Magesi.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic, Golden Arrows, Chippa United and Polokwane City boss guided Magesi to the Betway Premiership this season.
While they are still finding their feet in the South African top flight, the club achieved some impressive results to secure their place in the knockout cup final.
Larsen is no stranger to facing Sundowns and has beaten the seven-time successive league champions in the past.
He guided Celtic to victory in this competition in 2012/13 with victory over Sundowns.
Ahead of the weekend’s game at the Free State Stadium, Mngqithi expressed his admiration for the ambitious Larsen.
He said in the Sowetan: “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.
“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.
“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.”