Johnson still bullish about Chiefs Champions League chances

Cavin Johnson still believes Kaizer Chiefs can qualify for next season’’s Caf Champions League and has called for his team to be ‘aggressive and arrogant’ when they host high-flying Stellenbosch FC at FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Amakhosi’s Soweto derby loss to Orlando Pirates and goalless draw with Cape Town City either side of the international break have seen Chiefs slide further off the pace in the race to finish as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Stellenbosch are the current incumbents of second, Steve Barker’s side enjoying a fine season in which they have also already won the Carling Black Label Knockout, and are in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup.

Stellies are unbeaten in 18 matches in all competitions, but they do still only lead seventh-placed Chiefs by five points heading into Tuesday’s game.

‘We still believe’

“It is our intention to fight for every point still available in the remainder of the season. We still believe we can make it. If you don’t believe, you may as well pack it in. As Kaizer Chiefs, we’ll never do that,” Johnson told the Kaizer Chiefs website.

“We will need to have a better performance than on the weekend. They are near the top of the league, and not for no reason. They (Stellies) are a very good side and we’ll have to have all our ducks in a row to compete with them, but they are coming to FNB (stadium) and if we are not aggressive and arrogant on our own home ground then we won’t get what we are looking for.”