Kaizer Chiefs interim coach, Cavin Johnson, is encouraged by the progress Amakhosi have made since he took over the reins from Molefi Ntseki in November, but insists there is some way to go before he feels the team is performing at the level at which he believes they are capable of playing.

”I am happy with the number of points we have collected but I am not totally satisfied with the way we have performed overall,” Johnson revealed, “and from a coach’s point of view, I think there is room for improvement in the way we execute in matches what we practice in training. From an effort point of view though, I think we are ahead of where I anticipated.”

Speaking after Chiefs ended the year with a 1-1 draw away to Sekhukhune United on Saturday night, which curtailed a run of three successive wins while stretching their unbeaten run to four matches, Johnson said, “We will give the players a couple of days off to spend with their families and they will return in the new year.

“If I am in charge of the team in this mini-break (the PSL is suspended for the duration of the AFCON tournament), I’ll work harder than ever before, because we want to start 2024 in the same positive mode as we have ended 2023. I have already planned what we are going to do. It is not just Cavin Johnson; it’s the great technical staff I work with, and we are all working together so that we see a much better Kaizer Chiefs when we restart the league.”