Cedric Kaze addresses Khalil Ben Youssef’s absence as pressure mounts on Kaizer Chiefs coaching duo
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef was absent from the touchline during their Betway Premiership game against Siwelele on Wednesday. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has explained Khalil Ben Youssef’s absence from the touchline during their Betway Premiership game against Siwelele FC at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
Chiefs could only manage a point from their encounter against the Free State side, but Ben Youssef’s absence was the biggest talking point from the night.
Immediately after the game, Kaze moved quickly to clarify his colleague’s absence from the match.
"About Khalil, he attended a personal matter in Morocco. He was not here, but he will be back [on Thursday]," said Kaze, according to KickOff. Kaze was promoted to the position of co-coach alongside Ben Youssef following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi.
This is not the first time the club has allowed one of their coaches to return home to attend to a personal matter this season. Earlier in the campaign, Nabi himself spent time back in Tunisia to be with his wife after she had been involved in a car accident.
Despite the explanation at the time, rumours began to swirl that Nabi’s future was not on solid ground due to a reported falling out with club bosses after their pre-season tour to Europe.
The spotlight will now firmly be on the duo as the club search for their first win in four games in the league while also navigating themselves through continental competition.
This Sunday, they will be in action in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round against AS Simba.
As the pressure mounts both domestically and on the continent, Chiefs’ coaching partnership will face its biggest test of unity and resilience. How Kaze and Ben Youssef steer the team through this period could go a long way in defining not only their tenure, but also the direction of Amakhosi’s season.
IOL Sport