Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mosa Lebusa says they are aware of the threat posed by giant slayers Magesi ahead of the Carling Knockout Cup final at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening. 

The newly promoted side has been dubbed as the giant killers of the competition following a shock 3-2 victory over cup specialists Orlando Pirates in the round of 16 last month, before eliminating TS Galaxy in the quarterfinals and Richards Bay in the semifinal. 

Clinton Larsen’s charges masterminded all these wins away from home, defying the odds and expectations by reaching the final of a major domestic cup competition in their first-ever season in the top-flight division. 

With the deciding game on the horizon, Lebusa is optimistic that the Brazilians can embrace the favorites tag and bring the league cup back to Chloorkop with their last glory dating back to 2019 under Telkom sponsorship with Pitso Mosimane. 

“Everyone is excited, every season we set goals for ourselves, and I think this is one which we can achieve. We are looking forward to the final and hopefully we win, ” said the 32-year-old Free State-born player. 

However, despite expressing confidence in clinching the trophy, the Downs center-back insists they will give the rookies maximum respect as he anticipates a tough encounter due to Magesi’s incredible performances. 

“I think we are very much aware of their run [in the cup] and their qualities, we did videos about them briefly to analyze and we tried to see what we can exploit, but we’ll give them the respect they deserve, ” Lebusa acknowledged. 

“Cup finals are very tricky so we will also have to bring our A-game to make sure that we win the trophy, so it’s going to be a tough one.”

Having been on a side that caused an upset as underdogs in the MTN8 final with Ajax Cape Town against Kaizer Chiefs in 2015, Lebusa has warned against complacency, calling for Masandawana’s regular standards to be met. 

“I think it will be suicidal of us to think that they are a small team, them being in the final speaks volumes. So, we have to give them respect and we have to acknowledge what they’ve done to get to the final, ” he said. 

“We have to respect them but at the same time we mustn’t neglect the quality that we have, so we are going out there guns blazing and make sure that we put a hands-on approach.” 

It remains to be seen whether history could repeat itself as the Durban-born mentor has already enjoyed domestic cup success at the expense of Sundowns in the same competition while coaching Bloemfontein Celtic in 2012.