Cavin Johnson: Chiefs’ effort against Chippa ‘was what Luke Fleurs would like’
Following Kaizer Chiefs’ disappointing loss to Chippa United on Saturday, interim coach Cavin Johnson expressed that the team’s effort is what the late Luke Fleurs ‘would like’.
Following the tragic passing of Fleurs on Wednesday, Amakhosi suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chippa United. They visited the Chilli Boys in a DStv Premiership match in East London.
The defeat dropped them to eighth in the standings, widening the gap between them and the coveted CAF spot.
WHAT CAVIN JOHNSON SAID ABOUT CHIEFS’ EFFORT IN RELATION TO LUKE FLEURS
“The mood in the camp has been up and down for the last few days,” he told journalists. “[It’s] only because in one moment you find out one of your players, one of my children are gone, and the next moment you have to send your condolences to their family.”
“And the next moment you have to come and discuss with them what their feelings are. How close they had gotten to Luke. It’s up and down, yesterday [Friday] before we came here we had to spend time with the family.
“But, in saying that, the players did look like they came through that. But I’m not a psychologist. From a football perspective, I can only say that today’s performance and the effort was what Luke would like it.”
JOHNSON LAMENTS MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Johnson had earlier highlighted missed opportunities and a lack of composure in the penalty area.
“Like you said, one step forward, two steps backward,” Johnson told SuperSport TV after the match. “I thought the first 20 minutes of the game belonged to us, we entered their area where we supposed to score goals, probably 5-6 times. We break, we’re supposed to score but we don’t put it in the back of the net and then we suffer afterwards.”
He also pinpointed defensive lapses on set pieces and a lack of pressure on the ball as culprits for conceding two goals. “Then we give away [two goals] – the first goal was very soft from an out-ball throw, the second goal we don’t put pressure on the ball and they also get into the box and they score two goals,” he said.
Chiefs fans will be hoping the team can rediscover their scoring touch and find consistency to climb the table.
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