Kaizer Chiefs head coach Cavin Johnson believes teams put in more effort whenever they play Chiefs. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Cavin Johnson believes part of the cause of Kaizer Chiefs’ trophy drought is the extra motivation other teams seem to have when they come up against Amakhosi.
Chiefs will play Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium this evening in the DStv Premiership, with the Soweto giants only left with league position to play for after another disappointing campaign.
Chiefs have not scored a goal yet in 2024, playing goalless league draws against Royal AM and Moroka Swallows, either side of a penalty shoot out defeat in the Nedbank Cup to Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford FC.
All of these are games it was reasonable to expect a squad of Chiefs’ quality to win.
“We have a crop of athletes … any one of them has to make sure they put their hand up and makes sure they come to the field (against Arrows) and play better than they did today (against Swallows),” said Johnson after a ten-man Chiefs had failed to break down the Birds.
“These are the same things we are worried about (not winning) when we play someone in a worse position than us. But I believe anyone who has played Chiefs in the last eight years, they always put their hands up. Instead of going to one sangoma, they go to five!”
Chiefs lost 2-1 to Golden Arrows in the first round in a game played in soggy conditions at the Mpumalanga Stadium, with Knox Mutizwa grabbing a brace for the home side.
“That was a completely different game against a different opponent, when we played them the rain was absolutely mad,” added Johnson.
“And the field they took us to was … I don’t know where it was but we had to drive one and a half hours from Durban (to Hammarsdale).
“We know we are coming to FNB Stadium on Tuesday and we know we have to recover now … pepare Monday and play Tuesday. The medical team for sure will be busy recovering the players and making sure they are ready.”
Since beating Chiefs in October, Mabhuti Khanyeza’s Arrows have been on an appaling run of form, losing ten games in a row in all competitions.
It is a game that Chiefs really should find a way to win, but that applied to their previous three matches too.
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