It’s a kind of Magic for third-tier side
The Magic FC coach David Kannemeyer insists on not talking about the four years (2001-2004) he spent at Kaizer Chiefs, rather preferring to indulge in his team.
Kannemeyer’s (41) third-tier Cape Town based amateur side hosts Chiefs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this afternoon in a Nedbank Cup last 16 tie.
“This game has got nothing to do with me but the players,” said Kannemeyer of the club partly owned by former AmaZulu FC striker George Dearnaley.
Magic FC will be the second amateur side to meet Chiefs in this year’s competition and Kannemeyer is fully aware of what this could mean in terms of motivating his players who will appreciate getting a rare but great platform to market their skills.
As part of preparing his team for the biggest match of their lives, Kannemeyer said he took his players to one of the big stadiums in Cape Town, Athlone, just to show them what to expect in Port Elizabeth.
“To us it doesn’t really matter what the score will be. It’s for our players to put themselves on the map, express themselves and showcase their talents. You never know who can pick them up at the end of the season,” he said.
Another aspect Kannemeyer advised his players on was the intimidating atmosphere they will face from the Amakhosi fans even though he feels this could work to their advantage if they do what Tornado FC did to Chiefs in the last round.
“I know the Chiefs crowd can also turn against their players. So if we can do our job properly and frustrate Chiefs, then we should be able to beat them,” reckoned Kannemeyer, who started his career at Cape Town Spurs before moving on to Ajax Cape Town, Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Mpumalanga Black Aces.
On Mngomeni’s influence, Kannemeyer said the left-footed winger was a great inspiration to his young players.
“The youngsters look up to Thando. Most of the time he doesn’t start but when he comes on he does the job. We’re also clever in terms of managing him. He’s not young anymore so we need to look after him.”