‘I didn’t see it’: Johnson plays down Chiefs fans’ missiles after derby defeat

Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson did not condone but also shrugged off as relatively minor the cases of missile throwing by Amakhosi fans after their 3-2 Soweto derby defeat against Orlando Pirates.

A small section of Chiefs’ supporters threw missiles, resulting in a police presence for Johnson and his team as they left the FNB Stadium pitch.

Chiefs will hope the more serious instances of hurling objects that were directed at Johnson’s predecessor this season, Molefi Ntseki, which resulted in stiff fines from the Premier Soccer League (PSL), including some suspended penalties, are not showing a resurgence.

PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu seems likely to review the footage and consider fresh charges.

Johnson, in his post-match press conference, said he did not see the missile throwing incident.

“Were they throwing stuff on the field? Hey gents, I didn’t see [it],” he said.

“You know, when you lose a game of this magnitude and you just worry about [that], I didn’t see it.

“Maybe I saw one bottle or two but I did see police and I don’t know who they were protecting, me or the players.

“We want to say thank you to them [the supporters] for coming out. Don’t throw stones guys, it doesn’t work.

“But, ja, in reality we have got to take [win] the game. I think it would have been the same way if we had three and Pirates had two, maybe you would have seen some stones [from Bucs fans] also.

“I thought they saw a good game at the derby. I don’t know when last you’ve seen five goals in a derby.

“Those are little things you guys [the media] can write and either respect the score line and write properly about why we received three goals and why we scored two good goals.”

Chiefs led twice through an Ashley du Preez brace (sixth and 44th minutes) as Pirates equalised through goals by Monnapule Saleng (24th) and Thabiso Lebitso (58th). Saleng hit the 68th-minute winner.

“My team had a very good first half. In the second half we played in patches and did not maintain what we had out of the game,” Johnson said.

“You have three points, then you have one, then you have three again, then you have one and then you have none.

“I thought the two goals we gave them — the first and third — were very soft goals.”

Johnson was asked if lapses in concentration were behind leading twice and losing.

“When you play a derby and there are 90,000 voices, to hear my voice is like nothing. So on the pitch you have to have the character.

“I thought in some moments, from where they got the ball we could have stopped them long before they got to our goal.

“But it’s about character. Football is made out of moments. And it’s in those moments where we need to improve as a group and as a player who is part of a team playing in front of 90,000 people.”

Seventh-placed Chiefs, who are out of the Nedbank Cup, are out of action until their league encounter against fifth-placed Cape Town City after the Fifa international date at Athlone Stadium on March 30.