United expect to land Johnson as coach

SUPERSPORT United hope to unveil Cavin Johnson as their new coach today but a planned announcement could be held up by haggling over his contract.

Platinum Stars have been holding out in recent days for a compensation payment for the 54-year-coach, according to sources close to the deal.

Johnson still has a contract with Stars, who are well aware of the market value of their coach who took the unfancied club to second place in the Premier Soccer League and a cup semifinal in his first full season in charge of the team.

United had themselves been seeking compensation from BidVest Wits last week for the release of their coach Gavin Hunt, who still had one year left on his contract.

Johnson has been in Matsatsantsa's sights for several months since it became obvious that Hunt would take up a lucrative offer from Wits.

But the club's chief executive, Stan Matthews, insisted they had looked at six different candidates in the process of finding a replacement for Hunt.

Media speculation over the past few days has failed to identify the supposed candidates, though the name of former Dutch World Cup captain Ruud Krol was linked with United in recent days and Free State Stars coach Steve Komphela two months ago.

If Johnson leaves, it comes just weeks after he said he would build up Stars on a "five-year plan".

Johnson had a brief spell as caretaker coach at Ajax Cape Town in the 2001-02 season, but made his name as a youth coach.