Ben Youssef Criticizes Chiefs Co-Coaching System

Former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef believes the co-coaching system is not suitable for professional football and insists clubs should avoid adopting it, despite the success he and Cedric Kaze enjoyed while jointly leading Amakhosi last season.

Ben Youssef and Kaze were appointed co-coaches at Naturena after taking over from Nasreddine Nabi in October. The pair had previously served as assistant coaches under Nabi during his first season at the club and continued in those roles before being entrusted with leading the team together.

The duo guided Chiefs to a top-three finish in the Betway Premiership and secured qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup. However, despite achieving that objective, the club decided to part ways with both coaches at the end of the season.

Speaking to SNAWA, Ben Youssef reflected on his experience as a co-coach and admitted he never fully agreed with the concept, arguing that football teams should always have one person responsible for making the final decisions.

“The first time I heard about that in South Africa, I remember the first season when AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane was in the position of a co-coach,” said Ben Youssef.

“Every day, I was asking people at Naturena how it could work because, ultimately, someone has to make the final decision.

“So, if I’m a co-coach with another person and, for example, I want to play a 4-2-3-1 formation while he prefers a 4-3-3, then what do we do? Do we have a contest or something?

“From the first day, Cedric and I had a meeting. We know each other well. I was the first assistant coach and he was the second assistant coach.

“The board decided that we should continue as co-coaches. To be honest, the idea came from Cedric. He said to me, ‘Listen, we know each other and we’ve worked together. If there is ever confusion, a misunderstanding, or we are not on the same page, then your idea will take priority.’

“To be honest, we didn’t have any problems during the season. We were always on the same page. There were moments, especially regarding substitutions or situations during matches, when we didn’t completely agree, but my view was generally the one that was followed. That’s how we continued.

“But, to be honest, it’s something that’s wrong. It’s something you can’t really accept. We learn football at the highest level. Do you understand?

“Do you ever hear about Real Madrid, Barcelona, or PSG having two co-coaches? It’s impossible. There is always a head coach. He is responsible for everything, accountable for the decisions, and leads the entire technical staff.”

Although he disagreed with the structure, Ben Youssef explained why he and Kaze accepted the arrangement at Chiefs.

“First, you are under contract with the club, so when the club decides to put you in that position, you continue the work,” he said.

“Second, when the decision was made, Cedric and I discussed everything. We established clear rules on how we would work, how we would play, how we would prepare, and everything else. As I said, from the first day, we didn’t have any problems for seven or eight months.

“But if we had encountered problems, then for sure we would not have accepted continuing in that way. However, when you are under contract with a club like Kaizer Chiefs — not a small club, but a big club — and you are given the responsibility of leading the team, I don’t think anyone would say no.

“We also knew the quality we had, we understood the possibilities for the season, and from the beginning we were confident that we would succeed.”

Chiefs have since moved away from the co-coaching model and appointed Fernando da Cruz as the club’s sole head coach. The Frenchman is no stranger to Naturena, having worked as one of Nabi’s assistants during the club’s 2024/25 pre-season before leaving to join the Moroccan national team’s technical setup.

With Da Cruz now taking full control of the first team, Amakhosi appear to have embraced the traditional coaching structure that Ben Youssef believes is essential, with one head coach carrying responsibility for all major football decisions.