Highbury FC are close to appointing former Magesi FC and Venda FC coach Clinton Larsen as Vusumuzi Vilakazi’s successor, FARPost has established.
Larsen is already in the Eastern Cape to finalise talks with the Motsepe Foundation Championship side and is expected to take charge this week.
The move follows the dismissal of Vilakazi, who lasted just 10 matches in charge of Highbury. The coach, affectionately known as ‘Kanu’, won four, drew three and lost three during his spell at the club.
Highbury sit eighth in the Championship, seven points behind leaders Cape Town City FC. Should the deal be concluded as expected, Larsen’s first assignment will be against the University of Pretoria on Friday, 20 November.
CLINTON LARSEN SET FOR RETURN AFTER VENDA FC EXIT
The 55-year-old is set to return to the dugout after spending just over a year at Venda FC. He guided the Limpopo outfit to a ninth-place finish last season, eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Venda retained Larsen and brought in 12 players ahead of the new campaign, including former Polokwane City FC striker Douglas Mapfumo, defender Bonginkosi Makume and goalkeeper Bongani Mpandle.
However, Venda lost four of their opening five league matches and drew the other. The club and Larsen parted ways by mutual consent after talks over the team’s direction, with Kaitano Tembo taking over.
Larsen’s most notable success came at Magesi FC, where he secured promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the Betway Premiership. He followed that up by leading Magesi to the 2024 Carling Knockout title, beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.
His previous coaching spells also include stints at Bloemfontein Celtic, Golden Arrows, Chippa United and Polokwane City FC.
At Highbury, Larsen would take over a side that collected 15 points from Vilakazi’s 10 matches. The meeting with the University of Pretoria would give him his first opportunity to narrow the gap to the teams above them.
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