Johnson: It's what killed my players

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Cavin Johnson has explained where his side got it wrong as they were hammered 5-1 by DStv Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Amakhosi’s top-four ambitions suffered another setback with a sobering 5-1 beating from The Brazilians, who – having beaten Chiefs – were immediately crowned DStv Premiership champions for the seventh consecutive time at FNB Stadium on Thursday night.

Chiefs were on the backfoot just 20 minutes into the encounter when Given Msimango received his marching orders after a tackle on a goal-bound Lucas Ribeiro, who only had the keeper to beat.

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A Tashreeq Matthews brace as well as goals from Matias Esquivel, Thembinkosi Lorch and Lucas Ribeiro put the Soweto giants to the sword.

Speaking to journalists after the game, Johnson denied that his tactics had been outdone by his opposite number in Rulani Mokwena.

"I don’t think we were exposed," Johnson defended.

"The only thing is that when you look at it, and you look at the goal they (Sundowns) scored, the first goal they scored, like I said, is the Achilles heel that killed my players, because it’s not a goal, it’s an out ball for Kaizer Chiefs.

"When we have that, we have momentum going forward and all our players are up front, but the out ball kills us. After that, the third, the fourth and fifth goal, my players back off, which is not normal for them to back off.

"I thought they backed off at the wrong moment and they gave Sundowns the opportunity to come at us.

"I don’t think they out-foxed me, it’s just that we did the wrong thing on the pitch."

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The loss is a fifth in five matches for Chiefs – a run of form only matched by bottom-of-the-table side Cape Town Spurs, who are the only other team in the league with four losses in five.

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