His departure follows chairman Calvin Le John’s sweeping changes that saw CEO Stan Matthews and assistant coach Andre Arendse dismissed last week, while former Bloemfontein Celtic stalwart Willem Jackson was drafted into Lehlohonolo Seema’s backroom staff.

Like Matthews and Arendse, Johnson had been part of the long-serving group at SuperSport United before the club’s rebrand to Siwelele and the subsequent appointment of Seema as head coach.

But mounting pressure on results has prompted Le John to restructure the technical team, retaining Seema but surrounding him with new faces carrying Celtic DNA.

READ: Seema makes bold claim after Orlando Pirates defeat

The first indication that Johnson had vacated his role came on Tuesday night when Cyprian Musibe was listed as the goalkeeper coach on the team sheet during the 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates at the Toyota Stadium.

It is understood Johnson is in discussions with the club to finalise his departure, though sources suggest there will not be an official announcement to address either his exit or Musibe’s appointment.

Siwelele find themselves second from bottom after eight matches in the Betway Premiership, and Seema is banking on fresh arrivals from the transfer window to turn their fortunes around when they host Marumo Gallants on Sunday.

Johnson’s exit, however, marks the end of an era — he was part of the same technical staff that kept SuperSport in the topflight just three months ago, before ownership changes reshaped the club into its current form.

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