Kaizer Chiefs secure first win, dedicating victory to absent Coach

image: Kaizer Chiefs/Facebook

by Lwandiso Simanga 

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has dedicated their 2-0 win over 10-man Stellenbosch to head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who is in Tunisia attending to his injured wife. The victory, achieved before a sold-out Athlone Stadium, marked Amakhosi’s first win of the season, with goals from Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Glody Lilepo continuing Chiefs’ dominance over Stellies.

Ben Youssef, alongside second assistant Cedric Kaze, praised the team’s resilience, saying they had promised Nabi the win and were praying for his wife’s recovery. Chiefs played without their overseas signings  Flavio Silva, Ethan Chislett, and Nkanyiso Shinga  due to pending paperwork, but the coach confirmed they are training and preparing for upcoming matches.

A standout performer was academy graduate Aiden McCarthy, who earned the man of the match award. Ben Youssef credited the club’s DDC coaching setup for preparing young players for senior football, adding that patience with McCarthy was now paying off after his struggles last season.

Following back-to-back seasons outside the top eight, Ben Youssef emphasised that this campaign is about delivering results. He also revealed plans to give more opportunities to development players as Chiefs aim to make an impact in the CAF Confederation Cup.