AmaZulu coach Johnson plays down Tade absence

Cavin Johnson has played down the impact of the departure of Emiliano Tade as AmaZulu find themselves in a relegation scrap with eight games left to play in the Absa Premiership season.

Usuthu are just three points clear of 15th-placed Chippa United as they prepare to take on title-chasing Bidvest Wits this evening at the King Zwelithini Stadium.

Johnson’s side are coming into this match off the back of successive league defeats at Orlando Pirates (4-1) and Maritzburg United (2-1).

Tade left AmaZulu for Sundowns at the end of January and remains the KZN side’s top scorer with seven goals in all competitions.

“I don’t think it should affect us a lot,” said Johnson yesterday.

“There is no sadness, we lost a good player, but we were doing well before him as well, he was with us for only five months …. He has moved on now.”

AmaZulu have brought in Zimbabwean Talent Chawapiwa, who made his first two starts against Pirates and United.
“I expect him (Chawapiwa) to kick on more, he has a lot of quality, he likes to go forward, we hope he is able to kick on and score a few goals or get a few assists.”

AmaZulu have been incredibly inconsistent of late, beating both Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City just before the two recent defeats, but also getting knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Highlands Park, drawing with the same opponent in the league and losing to Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs in 2019.

“Against Pirates we made three technical mistakes, you can’t do that against a team like Pirates. You pass the ball to that opposition and they go. Pirates are a fast moving team, if you make the same mistake against a Polokwane City or a Baroka FC you can recover.

“Against Maritzburg, they scored an own goal, and then we started defending, but not defending properly, just dropping back. There are moments in a game where you, as a coach, can scream bubbles through your backside, if the players don’t drop in where you want them to.”

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