Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson will smile all over this article. Mamelodi Sundowns‘ high-flying coach, Rulani Mokwena, believes the Amakhosi coach is not respected. The comment comes after a 5-1 bashing.
DSTV PREMIERSHIP: KAIZER CHIEFS 1-5 MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
On Thursday, Sundowns needed three points to win a record seventh DStv Premiership in a row. The result was a 5-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs, thanks to goals from Tashreeq Matthews (x2), Matias Esquivel, Lucas Ribeiro and Thembinkosi Lorch.
Amakhosi’s Johnson said the red card to Given Msimango ruined the match.
“The red card spoiled my game in one moment,” Johnson said via TimesLIVE.
“I don’t know if it was a red card — I still have to look at that. Their first goal was a foul for us, if you look at it. There’s a foul on the right-hand side [Lorch on Dithlokwe] and the referee points the other way. From that moment they go to the other side and they score.
“That really breaks your players too sometimes because that’s the achilles heel that it takes out of us because we’re one man down and the foul actually belongs to Kaizer Chiefs.
“But in saying that, we had to defend better in the second half, which we didn’t do. But my main bone of contention is the first goal scored against us.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and we have to pull up our socks because the Chiefs you saw in the last 15 minutes is not the Chiefs I know or coach. We’re disappointed and we’re going to fix it,” the Johannesburg-born coach concluded.
RULANI MOKWENA BIG OPINION
Speaking to the media after the game, Sundowns coach Mokwena said Kaizer Chiefs coach Johnson deserves better respect.
“We don’t respect our own. I don’t think he [Johnson] gets the respect he deserves,” Mokwena said via FARPost.
“It is bittersweet [win over Johnson’s Chiefs] because I admire him a lot. I think he has done incredible work. He maybe doesn’t get [the recognition he deserves].
“But it is like that in South Africa. I mean, the guy [Johnson] has produced so many top professional football players. He has coached at clubs like Platinum Stars and SuperSport and has won trophies.
“Coach Cavin has done incredible work for this country. He is an incredible human being. I think the Kaizer Chiefs staff can attest to that. He is a very good person. And I have always said that I don’t want to be a good coach if I can’t be a good human being. That is where I am. So it is very difficult and bittersweet. But it is football. I’m sure he also understands,” the Sundowns mentor concluded.