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Ben Youssef: Chiefs Youngsters Carried Us Despite Fans Pressure  

  • January 20, 2025
  • 3 min read
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Ben Youssef: Chiefs Youngsters Carried Us Despite Fans Pressure  

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has praised Amakhosi academy graduates, acknowledging their major contributions despite pressure mounted by fans on social media. 

Chiefs 19-year-old winger, Mfundo Vilakazi came off the bench to find the winner in the 84th minute to help Amakhosi clinch a victory over Sekhukhune at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.

The goalscorer was introduced in the second half, joining Wandile Duba, who had also been a constant threat to the Babina Noko defense throughout the game and produced a commendable performance. 

The Chiefs assistant was standing in on the dugout in place of head coach Nasradine Nabi, who was suspended in their previous game against Golden Arrows after a remonstration with the match officials after the game. 

Addressing the media after the game, Khalil once again commended the output of the youngsters at the Soweto Giants during Sunday’s game, lauding their efforts despite succumbing to pressures that come with playing for a team of Chiefs’ stature.

“To be honest with you, our young players did very well, they performed very well. The problem for our young players – there is a lot of pressure from outside you know, when you are in a big team like Kaizer Chiefs, you can’t be protected. From the first game you have to perform, you have to score, you have to do everything good,” said Ben Youssef. 

Chiefs’ last two victories in the league also came courtesy of two youngsters with 20-year-old Duba netting a brace in their 2-1 victory over Stellenbosch while another 20-year-old scored a single to edge Chippa United at Durban venue. 

However, in this particular game, the spotlight was stolen by the ever-industrious Vilakazi, who asked questions a couple of times before eventually beating the Sekhukhune goalkeeper Ali Badri Sangare. 

Youssef expanded on his take on the youngster’s performance, hailing him as his man of the match for the encounter. 

“So for that, we try to, sometimes protect them. Sometimes put them from the start of the game, and sometimes in the match they get a chance in the second half. In this game Vilakazi I think he was the best player because he scored in the second half and also, he did very well, he defended with us,” Ben Youssef said. 

Nabi’s assistant further reflected saying, “He was unlucky in this game, before he got two opportunities to score, he was unlucky, and the third one he was lucky, and he scored and gave us three points. Those three points gave us more confidence to prepare for the cup game and to be more sure that we are on the right side.” 

Despite heavy recruitments over the past few transfer windows, both locally and beyond borders, the Glamour Boys have however witnessed an incredible revelation from their academy graduates who seem to have carried the team on their backs during this difficult period. 

Perhaps a revelation that might see the club rethink its recruitment strategies, looking more at polishing the talent at their disposal on their development structures.

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Samkelo Biyela

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