Magesi Pull Off Stunning Upset, Defeat Sundowns In Carling Cup Final
Magesi stunned Mamelodi Sundowns with a 2-1 victory in the Carling Knockout Cup final at Toyota Stadium on Saturday.
The team from Limpopo staged a remarkable comeback after falling behind in the first half. Sundowns took the lead through Iqraam Rayners, who peeled away from his marker and fired past Magesi goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze.
However, Magesi fought back strongly in the second half. Tshepo Kakora leveled the score just three minutes into the half, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Sundowns who failed to deal with Edmore Chairambare’s cross. Delano Abrahams then secured the victory with a clever finish, using his knees to direct the ball past Ronwen Williams from Chirambandare’s corner in the 87th minute.
This triumph marks another impressive achievement for coach Clinton Larsen, who previously led Bloemfontein Celtic to a victory over Sundowns in the Telkom Knockout in 2012. Despite being underdogs, Larsen’s tactical approach, which focused on limiting Sundowns’ attacking opportunities, proved effective.
Sundowns dominated possession in the first half, with Teboho Mokoena and Lucas Ribeiro posing a threat. However, Magesi defended resolutely and relied on counter-attacks to create chances.
Rayner’s goal put Sundowns ahead, but Magesi’s response was swift and decisive in the second half. Kakora’s equalizer shifted the momentum, and Abrahams’ late strike sealed the deal.
Sundowns made several substitutions in the second half, including bringing on the talented Kutlwano Letlhaku. However, Magesi’s defensive resilience and clinical finishing proved too much for the defending champions. Chipezeze took another R100,000 as prize money for a man of the match, which is R400,000 in four matches. Magesi becomes the second Limpopo side to win a major in the PSL after Baroka won the same competition in the 2018/19 season. Chipezeze was part of that side and this is his second trophy.
However, Larsen will have to take all the credit, as a few seasons ago he was coaching in the ABC Motsepe League and has now led Magesi to a major trophy in the PSL top flight after promoting last term. He went down to the tier of South African football because there were no opportunities for him.
11 Comments
[…] strike, but Magesi’s Tshepo Kakora equalized early in the second half. Delano Abrahams later sealed the victory with a clever […]
[…] lost 2-1 to upstarts Magesi at Toyota Stadium, where they appeared to be in control of the game in the first […]
[…] Tsa Meetse beat Sundowns 2-1 in the final of the Carling Knockout at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, providing Larsen’s second […]
[…] played a crucial role in Magesi’s Carling Knockout Cup triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. This marked his second PSL title, having previously won the same competition (then known as the […]
[…] Bloemfontein native, who was in attendance as Magesi beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the Carling Knockout Cup final on Saturday at Toyota Stadium, has been unattached since leaving […]
[…] game dynamics, to have not lost an inch of that and did it a couple of times to go down as Magesi stunned Sundowns in the Carling Knockout Cup final at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. […]
[…] than any coaches present in the PSL. He made the revenge for that loss to Sundowns, beating them 2-1 where it hurts more – in the Carling Knockout Cup final at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. […]
[…] been struggling to win domestic cups, they last won a Cup in 2022 when they beat Marumo Gallants 2-1 in the final of the Nedbank Cup at Royal Bafokeng […]
[…] from their defeat at the hands of top-flight rookies, the Brazilians will host the Democratic Republic of Congo outfit at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday […]
[…] came just a month after he led Magesi to victory in the Carling Knockout Cup, where they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns in […]
[…] The silver medal he referred to came from last season’s final at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, when he led Mamelodi Sundowns against newly promoted Magesi FC. Sundowns had taken an early lead through Iqraam Rayners, but Magesi stunned them with two late goals in the second half to clinch a famous victory. […]