Immediate former Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson has revealed he has been supporting Orlando Pirates since childhood.
Johnson was appointed as Amakhosi Head of Development, a post he held until Molefi Ntseki was shown the door owing to the club's inconsistencies.
The former Al Ahly assistant coach was then given the mandate to coach the Glamour Boys, initially on an interim basis, before the management confirmed he would be in charge until the end of the 2023/2 season.
The 65-year-old led Chiefs to the 10th-place finish, their worst ever in the Premier Soccer League era.
Johnson confesses he has been a Pirates' fan
In the 22 games he managed, Johnson helped Amakhosi win just six and lost nine with seven ending in draws.
One of the losses was against fierce rivals Pirates at the FNB Stadium, a match his team lost 3-2 despite leading 2-1 at halftime.
“As a youngster – this is going to kill the people locally, I have always been a Pirates fan. It’s the people’s team,” the 65-year-old said in a Junior Khanye podcast.
“In my teenage years, I always went to Orlando. And Pirates, we could identify with Jomo [Sono] and a lot of the guys who were there.”
How did Johnson fall in love with Bucs?
The tactician has conceded he loved the diversity at the Buccaneers and could do anything to ensure he was at the stadium cheering the team.
“They always had a diversified team; we always had an excuse to go to Orlando [Stadium].
“If you were going to Orlando and the police stop and ask, ‘What are you doing here?’ We would lie and say, ‘No, no, I’m going to watch my uncle’. Pirates always had a mixture of players.”
Johnson was released by Chiefs after the 2023/24 season concluded, with Nasreddine Nabi taking his place.
