Johnson says he has little to do with Chiefs’ trophy drought
Kaizer Chiefs caretaker coach Cavin Johnson has implied it would be unfair to bring up his name with regards to the club’s prolonged trophy drought and struggles.
Chiefs, who last won a trophy when they were crowned league champions in the 2014/2015 season under Stuart Baxter, hit a new low when they were elbowed out of the Nedbank Cup by second-tier side Milford in the first round at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat has now extended Amakhosi’s trophy drought to eight seasons.
Johnson, who only replaced Molefi Ntseki on a caretaker basis in October, has suggested it would be unjust for people to say he has contributed to the failure of winning cups at Naturena.
Johnson initially joined Chiefs as head of the academy in September last year.
“As a coach now ... do I have to take nine years on my shoulders? That’s a lot of years.
“We have to do a proper inspection on what we have to do to make it a better season ... to finish the season on a high, so that we can show the people and the public that we are building,” Johnson said after the Milford defeat.
While he is in an interim position, Johnson is the eighth coach hired at Chiefs since they won their last trophy.
His temporary tenure at Naturena is preceded by Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, Baxter (for a second stint), Arthur Zwane and Ntseki.
A former assistant to Pitso Mosimane at Al Ahly, Johnson feels losing to Milford, who are one point away from relegation in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, won’t damage his reputation as a coach who has done well in the past.
One of his highlights as a coach was guiding less-fancied Platinum Stars to finish second in the league in the 2012/2013 season.
“I’ve lost other games like this. I don’t think it will damage my reputation when you see the way the team played,” he said.
“I’d have said my reputation was going to be damaged if we didn’t attack and we didn’t attempt to score goals.
“If we made tactical and technical blunders maybe my reputation was going to be at stake, but I think my reputation is still intact.”
Edson Castillo is the only Chiefs player who missed his spot-kick in a game where
Ranga Chivaviro couldn’t convert from the spot in extra time, forcing the game to go to penalties.
Milford goalkeeper saved Chivaviro’s penalty in extra time, before scoring the winner in the shoot-out.