Clinton Larsen on preparing newly-promoted Magesi for topflight football

The veteran mentor steered the Limpopo-based outfit to the elite level by winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship with two games to spare at the weekend.

READ: Larsen admits surprise over Magesi FC topflight promotion push

Speaking on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with host Andile Ncube, Larsen discussed his plans ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. 

"The team is only two years old and, to do what we've done with two games to spare, I think everyone at the club deserves a round of applause – I think management as well," said Larsen.

"It's the first time where I've worked at a club and I've been given carte blanche to mould this team the way I see fit, and I've been here 15 months now, and not once has there been any form of interference in my work.

"And this is such a stable club because, in the 15 months I've been here, with all the stories going around the NFD clubs with their financial problems, there's not been a single day or month where players in my club have been paid short or late."

Larsen confirmed he was already in talks with several players to join Magesi when the transfer window opens on 1 July 2024, as he believes sealing promotion this early allows ample time to plan and not be caught on the back foot.

"That's exactly what we didn't want to happen – going into the last game, needing a point or needing a draw, and then going into the play-offs," he added.

"So to do it this way gives us a lot of time to prepare for the new season, and at 6am this morning I was already on the phone with players, already trying to set up their contracts and talk to players to join the club.

"We don't want to find ourselves in a situation that [Cape Town] Spurs did, so we've got to learn from other clubs and make sure we're better prepared, and I'm sure we will be."

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