Coach Clinton Larsen believes guiding Magesi FC to promotion to the topflight league within two seasons surpasses his achievement of winning the Telkom Knockout trophy with Bloemfontein Celtic in the 2012/13 season.

Larsen secured the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) title for Magesi with a 3-1 victory over Milford FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday. This accomplishment potentially makes them the third Limpopo team, alongside Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City, to compete in the DStv Premiership for the 2024/25 season.

“This feels like a more significant achievement,” Larsen told Sportswire. “At Celtic, it was already my second or third season. I was familiar with the league, not a rookie coach anymore, and I had built a strong team with quality players. We weren’t surprised by our success then.

“However, this Magesi team is completely different. It’s only two years old. Look at our league table – there are established names in the MFC, some who’ve been chasing promotion for years. To achieve it in just two seasons is incredible. I’m incredibly proud of everyone’s effort.”

Larsen secured the Telkom Knockout with Celtic in a controversial victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, thanks to a disputed “ghost goal” by Joel Mogorotsi at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

That match marked the final one for former Dutch World Cup star Johan Neeskens as coach, who was subsequently replaced by the highly successful Pitso Mosimane.