Tunisia defeat pushes Cavin out of job
Stars believe that change will take them to next level
In the wake of their 3-0 away drubbing by Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in the CAF Confederations Cup on Sunday, Platinum Stars have parted ways with their coach Cavin Johnson.
“The club decided not to renew Mr Johnson’s contract, due to lapse at the end of June. We would like to move to another level. We believe that a change of this nature would really bring someone who will take the club to another level,’’ Stars chairman Cliff Ramoroa confirmed yesterday.
It is believed that the North West side’s failure to finish inside the top eight in the justconcluded season is the main reason they did not renew Johnson’s contract.
Stars had to settle for position nine with 37 points, missing a coveted top eight finish with just a point after Lamontville Golden Arrows claimed the eighth spot.
What makes matters worse is that the club is not doing well in the Confed Cup. They remain win-less with just one point at the bottom of Group B.
Dikwena’s hopes of qualifying for the next phase faded after the big defeat in Tunisia at the weekend.
Johnson came up under the tutelage of the late coaching stalwart Ted Dumitru. In 2012 he joined Stars as head coach.
In his first season, he led Stars to a second-place finish in the Absa Premiership.
That feat earned him a move to SuperSport United where he replaced Gavin Hunt in 2013. In 2015, the 58-year-old mentor returned to Dikwena and went on to guide the club to third place the following season. Johnson could not be reached for comment as his phone was constantly off.