AmaZulu goalkeeper Darren Johnson believes it’s finally his time to shine after struggling for game time at his previous club, Chippa United, where Stanley Nwabali’s impressive form kept him out of the starting lineup.

Johnson joined Usuthu at the start of the season, leaving Chippa, where his path to regular football was blocked by Nwabali — Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper and the Chippa captain.

With Nwabali—the current Chippa skipper and Nigeria’s number one goalkeeper who led his nation to the Africa Cup of Nations final last year—firmly established, it was a tall order for Johnson to break into the starting lineup.

Consequently, the 28-year-old, who came through the Cape Town Spurs youth system, made just eight appearances for Chippa in two seasons before making the switch to AmaZulu, following the club’s decision to part ways with long-serving goalkeeper Veli Mothwa.

Now at AmaZulu, Johnson is competing with Richard Ofori for the number one spot. He has featured in six matches so far this season, conceding six goals, three of which came in the Carling Knockout Round of 16 defeat to Magesi FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.

“Timing is important,” said Johnson. “As players, you need to understand that when it’s your time, it’s your time.

“When it’s someone else’s time, you have to clap for them — because when your moment comes, you want to be ready.

“At my previous club, things didn’t go the way I wanted in terms of playing time, but I’ve tried to grab the opportunity with both hands whenever I’ve been given the chance.”

Against Magesi, Johnson was left wrong-footed by a deflected free-kick in the dying minutes that took a heavy touch off Thabiso Kutumela and beat him, sealing AmaZulu’s exit from the competition.

Before that, however, the shot-stopper had delivered a standout performance in a 1-1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs, where he denied Gaston Sirino from the penalty spot and walked away with the Man of the Match award.

“Firstly, that was a big confidence booster,” Johnson said. “I felt that I was lacking confidence, but that game helped me mentally. I feel like I’m becoming a better version of myself.”

AmaZulu, currently sitting ninth in the Betway Premiership, will resume their campaign after the FIFA international break when they host Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 18 October.