As reported earlier by Sportswire, Magesi FC has officially announced the hiring of Owen da Gama as their new head coach.
Da Gama takes over from Clinton Larsen, who stepped down last weekend after Magesi suffered a 3-0 loss to All-Stars in the Carling Cup held at Orlando Stadium.
Initially, the club indicated that Papi Zothwane would take charge as interim head coach, supported by Jackie Ledwaba.
Both Zothwane and Ledwaba were part of the coaching staff during Magesi’s 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, while da Gama observed the match from the stands.
The 63-year-old coach has an impressive background, having managed teams like Platinum Stars, South Africa’s U-23 national team, and served as interim manager for Bafana Bafana, Highlands Park, Sekhukhune United, TS Galaxy, and Black Leopards (which he departed from in June), and is now looking for a new challenge.
Notably, like his predecessor Larsen, da Gama has a successful history in the Carling Knockout Cup, having won the title with Silver Stars in 2006, when it was referred to as the Telkom Knockout.
With previous coaching experience at Orlando Pirates, da Gama is anticipated to quickly improve Magesi’s performance. The club is currently at the bottom of the league, having secured only six points from 10 matches, and has played two fewer games than 15th-placed Richards Bay.
Da Gama’s first game as head coach of Magesi is set to take place against his former team, TS Galaxy, at Mbombela Stadium on 4 January 2025.
