Well, slap me silly and call me an unsporting football fan. Still, Magesi FC pulled off one of the greatest upsets in South African football history, sending Mamelodi Sundowns packing with a 2-1 defeat in the Carling Knockout Cup final. Bloemfontein, you have officially become the Bermuda Triangle of football—where the 57-fan favourite mysteriously vanished!
By Themba Khumalo
In a plot twist that could make even the most battle-hardened soap opera writers weep into their scripts, Magesi FC pulled off a stunning heist, snatching the 2024 Carling Knockout Cup right from under the noses of Mamelodi Sundowns at the Toyota Stadium on Saturday.
Some hyped up the showdown between Sundowns and Magesi as the ultimate “David and Goliath” spectacle.
With Sundowns strutting in as the reigning league champions, they were the clear favourites, while Magesi, fresh off the promotion bus from Limpopo, looked like they were about to face a giant with a slingshot made of spaghetti.
Ah, Magesi! Those brave souls who sent the MTN8 champions Orlando Pirates packing in the round of 16, spent the first half playing a game of “let’s see how much pressure we can withstand before we explode.” But explode they did, in the second half, with two stunning goals that crowned them the first newly-promoted team to seize victory and hoist that shiny cup.
Sundowns glided into halftime with a 1-0 lead, feeling like they were royalty, courtesy of Iqraam Rayners, who found the back of the net in the 36th minute. It could have been a goal-scoring festival, but Magesi’s superhero in gloves, Elvis Chipezeze, was busy channelling his inner fortress, making at least five incredible saves to prevent Sundowns from turning the match into a scoring spree.
Just when the crowd was about to start knitting sweaters, Magesi unleashed a thunderclap in the 48th minute! Tshepo Kakora, with the grace of a gazelle on a trampoline, equalized for Dikwena tša Meetse. They stormed back from halftime like a horde of caffeinated ninjas, attacking with a ferocity that could make a hurricane look like a gentle breeze.
The second half turned into a long-range shooting gallery for Sundowns, but Chipezeze was the immovable object they just couldn’t budge. His stellar performance not only kept the scoreline intact but also fattened his wallet with R400,000 in man-of-the-match rewards.
When it seemed the match was destined for extra time, Magesi snatched victory from the jaws of a draw, netting the winner with a mere three minutes left on the clock. Delano Abrahams managed to score with his knee after a flicked-on header from a corner kick in a stroke of sheer opportunism.
When the dust settled, and the confetti was swept away, Magesi emerged victorious, gripping that win tighter than a cat in a bathtub despite the Sundowns breathing down their necks like a pack of rabid dogs. They put the final nail in the fairytale coffin, sealing it with a flourish that would make even the most dramatic soap opera jealous.
Magesi’s jaw-dropping 2-1 comeback triumph at Free State Stadium is destined to be etched in the annals of South African football history as one of the most glorious cup final upsets. Now, the Limpopo club is basking in the spotlight, strutting around like a peacock in a tuxedo, and they have officially become the team everyone else is sharpening their knives to take down when the league resumes.