Former Al Ahly assistant coach Cavin Johnson is set to leave Motsepe Foundation Championship side NB La Masia for a new challenge.
Johnson has been working with La Masia in recent months. This was his first involvement in the local game since his return from Ahly, where he won two CAF Champions League titles with Pitso Mosimane.
He has assisted the club’s coaches and players while weighing options for his next challenge. According to multiple sources, Johnson is in talks with two PSL clubs and a Tanzanian club.
Cape Town Spurs and Dar es Salaam-based Azam FC are the clubs that have reportedly shown interest. Although it’s unclear which club he’s heading to and the role he would take up, the move is likely to happen this month, according to a source.
“He’s been weighing up his options for a while now. The arrangement at La Masia was always that he would voluntarily assist until he got a job. It appears it’ll happen very soon from the look of things,” the source told FARPost.
COACH JOHNSON WEIGHING UP HIS OPTIONS
Johnson’s departure will be a blow to La Masia, who finished 13th in their maiden season in the second tier. They have played three games so far this season. On Saturday, they succumbed to their first loss of the season when they fell 1-0 to Magesi.
La Masia started with a win before settling for a draw in their second match. They will be looking to bounce back quickly after the Magesi defeat. Their next assignment will be against the University of Pretoria at the Tuks Stadium.
The club’s coach, Delano Hendricks, recently told FARPost that working with the 64-year-old was “a dream come true”.
“Coach Cavin is more like a father to me, to be honest with you,” Hendricks told FARPost last month. “The relationship between him and me started when I was seven or eight. I followed him to the School of Excellence, to Ajax, but working with him on a coaching level has been a different experience.
“This is a community team where he comes from, so he has just come in to help. I think it’s a bit personal; maybe he wants to see me grow and improve. So it’s also about taking me under his wing and ensuring we’re doing all the right things at training.
“It’s a dream come true because if you look at Cavin’s CV, he’s got two CAF Champions League medals. He’s been in the game for many years. I always hear people talk about players they have produced. If we start jotting down the number of graduates he has, this is one man who is probably well over the 300-400 mark.
“We are delighted that he’s availed himself. Finding these highly qualified coaches willing to part with their knowledge is difficult. I don’t take it for granted.”
The veteran coach is highly respected in South African football and has a proven track record of success. He has worked at Platinum Stars, SuperSport United, AmaZulu FC, and Black Leopards and was also Pitso Mosimane’s assistant at Al Ahly.
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