‘Please God bless him so he can score goals’: Johnson on Chiefs striker González

Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson believes things will come easier for Jasond González if the big Colombian striker can just break his duck on the scoresheet.

In defence of González and another foreign forward at Chiefs who has battled to find consistent scoring form, Democratic Republic of Congo attacker Christian Saile, Johnson said adapting to South African football can be challenging for players from abroad, and especially strikers.

Saile, given his erratic finishing, has been better used out wide as a provider for Chiefs than as a striker. His return of six goals in 34 league and cup games since signing from Zambia's Nchanga Rangers in January remains underwhelming.

González - the hulking 24-year-old centre-forward signed from Bolivia's Club Real Santa Cruz, where he scored eight goals in 16 league games in 2022-23 - has yet to score in nine appearances, three as a substitute, for his new team.

The striker was given another start in Chiefs' flat 1-0 DStv Premiership win against second-last-placed Richards Bay FC at FNB Stadium on Saturday. He had some decent touches without threatening goal much before being replaced by Ashley du Preez in the 67th minute.

Johnson was asked if Saile and González are genuinely Chiefs material as the club attempts to build a competitive team after a disastrous eight seasons without a trophy. 

“Ja, González, please God bless him so he can score goals," Johnson said.

“It’s all I ask because Saile has broken an egg [broken his scoring duck], Ranga [Chivaviro] has broken an egg. Gonzalez hasn’t broken the egg.

“And a lot of times your strikers are like goalkeepers, they are crazy people. And at training they score goals, they look good, then when they play against an opponent, which you can only simulate [in training], they tend not to find the net and that makes them frustrated.

“I hope he is able to get his head scoring, or feet scoring, or whatever he has to do, and maybe it will come better.

“But in all respect to him and Saile, the South African game is not easy to adapt to as a foreigner, especially when you speak French or Spanish. It’s really difficult.

“That is one part that I find, we as coaches need to get more fluent in Spanish or French to make it a bit less difficult, because then for sure my player will get better quicker. So I’m putting that as a little bit of an excuse.

“But they’re both very good people and very good strikers.”

Sixth-placed Chiefs' last match before the six-week Africa Cup of Nations break is against 14th-positioned Sekhukhune United at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday (8pm).