The former Platinum Stars, SuperSport United head coach AmaZulu spent time as Amakhosi caretaker manager during the 2023/24 campaign.
He endured a difficult time at the club and ultimately left after their lowest Premier Soccer League-era finish - in 10th place on the standings.
But Johnson says new head coach Fernando da Cruz is rotating his players too often to create an environment for his team to win the league.
Amakhosi currently sit in fourth place on the table with 12 points from six games and remain unbeaten.
They are eight points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by eight points, but have two games in hand.
"When you look at it now, it's a two-horse race. I think it's six games now. It's Sundowns and Pirates," Johnson told FARPost.
"There are a lot of things you have to take into consideration now, but I say it's Sundowns and Pirates, and then, of course, AmaZulu, who look steady at the beginning of the season.
"It's very difficult [for Chiefs] because they change their line-up quite often. He [Fernando Da Cruz] changes one or two players; sometimes he changes three players.
"It's a very difficult scenario because he is also new to South African football. So, he has to learn, and you know we have 11 different cultures, and he comes from one culture," added Johnson.
"He worked in Morocco; we all understand football, and football is the same all over the world. It's played eleven vs eleven, and it's about the quality of players you have on the pitch. But besides the quality we have on the pitch, we also have different dimensions and hierarchy on the pitch.
“They have had some good scoring opportunities in games that they have been good in certain moments of the match. But then, as we all have seen, it's the big mistakes that they have been making in different departments,” he said.
Chiefs are next in action against Golden Arrows on Sunday afternoon.
