Ben Youssef Confirms Imminent Return To South Africa

Former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has confirmed that he is close to securing a return to South African football, with an official announcement expected within the next few days.

The Tunisian coach arrived in South Africa ahead of the 2024/25 season when he joined Kaizer Chiefs as an assistant coach to his compatriot, Nasreddine Nabi, at Naturena.

However, Nabi’s spell at the Soweto giants came to an abrupt end last season following a defeat to Sekhukhune United, which led to changes within the club’s technical team.

Following Nabi’s departure, Ben Youssef remained at Chiefs and was promoted to co-coach alongside Cedric Kaze. The duo guided Amakhosi to a top-three finish in the Betway Premiership, but despite that achievement, the club opted to part ways with both coaches at the end of the campaign.

Since leaving Naturena, speculation has surrounded Ben Youssef’s future, with reports linking him to Durban City.

Meanwhile, his former colleague Kaze has also been strongly linked with a return to the Betway Premiership, with reports suggesting he is set to become the new head coach of Sekhukhune United.

Although Ben Youssef stopped short of revealing the identity of his next club, he confirmed that he is in the final stages of concluding an agreement and expects an official announcement to be made soon.

“Soon I will be back in South Africa,” he said on SNAWA.

“I have been in discussions, and I am finalising matters with one team. As I said, in one or two days they will announce everything on social media and through the club’s official channels.”

Should a move to Durban City materialise, Ben Youssef would face the challenge of leading a side preparing for continental football following their historic Nedbank Cup triumph last season.

His imminent return would also ensure that another familiar face remains in South African football, adding further intrigue to the upcoming Betway Premiership campaign.