Ng’ambi backs Johnson to succeed at Black Leopards

Black Leopards midfielder Robert Ngambi has backed new coach Cavin Johnson to change Lidoda Divha’s fortunes, saying they are not worried about relegation.

The big Malawian midfielder once worked with Johnson at Platinum Stars (now known as Cape Umoya United) and is confident the former AmaZulu boss can make a huge impact in Thohoyandou.

Johnson was unveiled as Luc Eymael’s successor earlier this week and will look to hit the ground running in Venda as they will face off against Highlands Park in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) this weekend.

“It’s a great thing to have a coach like Cavin. I worked with him for more than five years at Platinum Stars. He’s like a father-figure. He understands the players and he understands the game. He comes with a lot of experience,” Nga’mbi told FarPost.

“It’s a good thing for the younger ones because he is a coach who likes to promote the youth and likes to work with younger ones.

“For us, it’s a bonus and a good thing to have him here at Leopards. It’s great news for us.”

Moreover, the experienced anchorman is confident they can finish in the top eight as they find themselves languishing at number 11 with 17 points.

“Our ambition is to see ourselves in the top eight. We still have a chance. We know it’s not going to be easy but with the team that we have and the supporters that we have, I think we can use that to our advantage for us to be in the top eight,” he added.

“It’s important for us to remain focused and try to work hard and achieve that. It’s possible. We are not concerned much about relegation. We just look at ourselves and with quality that we have in our team, I don’t see us fighting relegation.

“We want to finish in the top eight for our fans because these people deserve a lot. We have a huge number of supporters here in Venda and we can’t disappoint them.”