‘We couldn’t make five passes’: Johnson after Chiefs’ worst PSL finish

Kaizer Chiefs could not string five passes together, interim coach Cavin Johnson admitted of his team’s 2-0 final day DStv Premiership defeat to Cape Town Spurs that left Amakhosi with their worst placing in their history of 10th position for the 2023-24 season.

Goals by Ashley Cupido in the 37th minute and Michael Morton in the 74th brought already relegated, last-placed Spurs their sixth win of their disastrous promotion campaign at Cape Town Stadium.

Chiefs, who could not reach the top eight for the fourth time in the Premiership era (they ended ninth in 2001-02, 2006-07 and 2018-19) and qualify for next season’s MTN8, also had a miserable campaign, one that ended in suitably poor fashion with one of their worst performances against Spurs.

“We did not perform at the best, we lost the game and I thought we made too many mistakes,” Johnson said.

“One was the inability to clear the ball, with the other one your player is looking for a free-kick — I don’t know where he was going to get it from — but he leaves the ball and they score the goal.

“In saying that, we couldn’t make five passes. And when you are in that position you have to find players who can change the game for you. We came out in the second half and put on a lot of, not younger players, but quicker players and tried to get it done, but not to be.

“So we have to finish the season off on a very low note and at the same time go out and try to fix what is really not working at the moment.

“So ja, not a good game for Kaizer Chiefs. We were not capable of making more than five passes and that kills the rhythm of the game.”

Chiefs’ interim coach, who replaced Molefi Ntseki in October, was asked if a long injury list played its part in Amakhosi’s appalling campaign.

“I don’t think so. When you play for Kaizer Chiefs, whether you’ve got 18 players or 35 players, they all should have the same quality and they all should know what this badge and this institution are all about.

“When you analyse it like that, yes we did have a lot of injuries this season. Whether it affected our rhythm, only God can tell us that.

“It affected us in some moments, but I don’t think it affected us to really do the best.”

Chiefs have indicated they will appoint a new head coach in the off-season with a number of names linked to job including Manqoba Mngqithi, Alexandre Santos and Sead Ramović.