Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson believes the Premiership title race is already shaping up as a contest between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, despite Amakhosi remaining unbeaten.
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson believes the Premiership title race is already shaping up as a contest between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, despite Amakhosi remaining unbeaten.
Chiefs sit fourth after six matches with 12 points, eight behind leaders Sundowns but with two games in hand. Johnson nevertheless doubts Fernando Da Cruz’s side can mount a sustained challenge.
“When you look at it now, it’s a two-horse race,” Johnson told FARPost. “I think it’s six games now. It’s Sundowns and Pirates.”
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Johnson also identified AmaZulu as a team to watch after their steady start, but questioned whether Chiefs have established the consistency required to compete at the top.
He highlighted Da Cruz’s frequent changes to his starting XI and the Frenchman’s need to adapt to South African football as potential obstacles.
“It’s a very difficult scenario because he is also new to South African football,” Johnson said. “He has to learn, and you know we have 11 different cultures, and he comes from one culture.”
Johnson acknowledged that football principles remain universal but argued that succeeding in the Premiership requires more than technical quality.
“Besides the quality we have on the pitch, we also have different dimensions and hierarchy on the pitch,” he said.
The former Chiefs coach also pointed to costly errors. He believes Amakhosi have created promising opportunities during strong spells but repeatedly undermined themselves.
“They have had some good scoring opportunities,” Johnson said. “But then, as we all have seen, it’s the big mistakes that they have been making in different departments.”
Chiefs remain unbeaten and have games in hand, but Johnson expects Sundowns and Pirates to set the pace.