Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns: Who will win PSL? Johnson has his say

The Premier Soccer League heavyweights Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs have started the season relatively well.

Masandawana have taken the early lead with 20 points from eight games, followed by the defending champions, who are on 16 points after playing six games, the same as AmaZulu and Amakhosi, who are on 13 and 12 points, respectively.

It promises to be an interesting campaign, but former Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson doesn’t see Chiefs beating Sundowns and Pirates to the title.

A two-horse race already?

“When you look at it now, it’s a two-horse race. I think it’s six games now. It’s Sundowns and Pirates. There are a lot of things you have to take into consideration now, but I say it’s Sundowns and Pirates, and then, of course, AmaZulu, who look steady at the beginning of the season,” Johnson said in his interview with FARPost.

Mamelodi Sundowns playing against Orlandp Pirates. Photo Orlando Pirates

“It’s very difficult [for Chiefs] because they change their line-up quite often. He [Da Cruz] changes one or two players; sometimes he changes three players.

“It’s a very difficult scenario because he is also new to South African football. So, he has to learn, and you know we have 11 different cultures, and he comes from one culture.

“He worked in Morocco; we all understand football, and football is the same all over the world. It’s played XI vs XI, and if the quality of players you have on the pitch. But besides the quality we have on the pitch, we also have different dimensions and hierarchy on the pitch,” he added.

Da Cruz advised on how to manage Amakhosi

Johnson further gave coach Da Cruz a piece of advice regarding the ongoing campaign.

“If you know the Zulu culture, then it’s a different culture. Then the Xhosa culture is a different one. Then you have the players who I call the coloured players, who are the black players from Cape Town and coloured players from Johannesburg,” explained Johnson, who has previously coached AmaZulu FC,” the former Al Ahly assistant coach stated.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz. Image: Kaizer Chiefs

“Those are different dynamics that you, as a coach, have to understand. How have they [Chiefs] been playing now? Yes, they made some very big errors in games that they should have won.

“They have had some good scoring opportunities in games that they have been good in certain moments of the match. But then, as we all have seen, it’s the big mistakes that they have been making in different departments,” he concluded.