Johnson aims to honour Kaizer Motaung with Soweto derby win

As he anticipates his inaugural Soweto derby as a coach, Cavin Johnson of Kaizer Chiefs couldn’t help but express admiration for the club’s chairman, Kaizer Motaung. 

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Johnson’s aspiration is clear: he wants his team to play and secure victory in the distinctive ‘Kaizer Chiefs way’ to pay homage to Motaung. 

The much-anticipated encounter against Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium is scheduled for a 3.30 kickoff on Saturday.

Adding a layer of significance to the match, Motaung, the visionary founder of Kaizer Chiefs, was recently inducted into the South African Hall of Fame. 

The induction, which took place on Thursday evening, places him alongside the esteemed Bafana Bafana class of 1996, who were previously honoured with this prestigious recognition.

The stage is set for an afternoon of football that not only holds the promisefierce competition but also serves as a tribute to the indelible impact of Kaizer Motaung on the sport.

“I always like to play that type of football, but there is also the Kaizer Chiefs way, which is very similar,” said Johnson. 

Kaizer Chiefs founder a Hall of Fame inductee

“But going to the derby, it’s about us going there and maintaining the stats that are there – which is six or seven games on the trot (it’s actually five DStv Premiership wins in a row. 

“It’s also about going out there and playing in front of 70 000 or 80 000 people, and hopefully 60 000 of those belong to Chiefs. 

“And that they are out there to push us. Yes, we have had some disagreements in the past where we had to play in front of no supporters (Chiefs’ 3-2 win over Cape Town Spurs this week was played in a locked out stadium). 

“But we want them to come out Saturday and push us positively. We think that in our last few games we have been able to play the kind of football we think is the Kaizer Chiefs way. 

“And we know they come to the stadium and it will make us make less mistakes and be more calm on the ball, and try and outfox our opponents to get the win,” added Johnson. 

Chiefs will try to outfox Pirates to celebrate Motaung

“But at the same time we want to get a win to honour a man who I think should walk with presidents. 

“You talk about Kaizer, you talk about a club owner who has a facility like the village and has built all this from scratch. 

“I am just a coach who is going to go out there and do our best we can with the players we have in order to maintain the legacy he has built.” 

Johnson is also basically auditioning for the job as he is currently an interim coach with the club yet to make a permanent appointment.

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“I am not thinking about that. I am here to do the job to the best of my ability,” he added.

“And when the chairman calls me or not next year, I will keep on doing the job that I think is best for the Kaizer Chiefs badge.”