JOHANNESBURG - Seeing Mamelodi Sundowns conquer Africa in their Caf Champions League campaign last year has inspired Cavin Johnson to do the same with his own side in their Caf Confederation Cup campaign this season.
But the Platinum Stars’ coach knows it’s not going to be easy.
Johnson, like Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane and his technical staff did last season, will have to strike a good balance between his league aspirations as well as knockout cup competitions on the domestic front and pushing for continental glory.
But Johnson argued that he and his staff have been working tirelessly on a plan to ensure that Dikwena don't suffer from fatigue, with their domestic fixtures coming in thick and fast in the second round of the season.
“We’ve got the league and the Nedbank Cup and we would also like to do well in both of them as well,” Johnson said. “It’s not going to be easy but I believe that we can. The plan is to rest our players as much as we can to ensure that the are ready whenever called upon to play.
"And that means we’ll have to monitor what they eat, what time they go to sleep and that they are rejuvenated enough ahead of each fixture we’ll get to play in. That’s very important for us (to manage).
“We believe that we can go all the way (in the continent),”
In their preliminary round first leg encounter against Mozambique's Uniao Do Songo at the weekend, Stars won 1-0 thanks to a goal just after the hour mark (63 minutes) by veteran midfielder Robert Ng’ambi.
Johnson was disappointed by the opposition's “ultra defensive” style.
“It was awful to watch,” he lamented. “They just came here and decided to sit back. They never had the intention of attacking us. They were just waiting to catch us on a counter-attack but that never worked for them.”
“We take on Baroka FC at Peter Mokaba Stadium in a league fixture on Wednesday (Kick-off 7.30pm) before we play them again this coming weekend,” the 58-year old added.
“I’m expecting a very difficult battle from them. Their approach (in the second leg) is going to be totally different. (Being in their own backyard) they are going to come at us. They have no choice."
But Johnson says Stars will be up to the task and won't be going to Mozambique to defend their goal.
"You can bet we are not going to sit back. We are a side that can push for goals while maintaining a solid structure at the back. We are going there to win.”
Meanwhile in the other Confederation Cup match, SuperSport United drew 0-0 at Madagascar's Elgeco Plus. while Bidvest Wits lost 2-1 at Reunion's Saint-Louisienne in the Caf Champions League.
Both sides host second leg matches this weekend