Ben Youssef On Historic Win Over ZESCO
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef praised his team’s performance, saying Amakhosi were better than ZESCO United in their 1-0 victory in the third game of the CAF Confederation Cup group stage match at Levy Mwanasawasa Stadium on Sunday, securing a historic first-ever win against a Zambian side.
Pule Mmodi scored the only goal of the match in the second minute, capitalizing on Inacio Miguel’s attempt that hit the post. This win marks a significant milestone for Amakhosi, showcasing their strength in the competition.
“I think in the first half we were better than ZESCO, we managed the first half very well because they didn’t get any opportunity to score,” Ben Youssef said.
“In the second half, we discussed keeping our team high. But unfortunately, since we had only one goal, we were thinking about the results; we gave them a lot of space, and they played long balls, which are difficult to defend.
“We were also focusing on the second ball; the only opportunity they got was in the last minutes of the game. I have to say congratulations to (Brandon) Petersen for that great save; he made us win this game.”
Following this victory, Amakhosi are third in Group D with four points, while ZESCO remains at the bottom of the log without a single point after three games.
The Tunisian mentor also attributed Amakhosi’s dominant display to their strategy but lamented the poor pitch conditions, which affected their playing style.
“I said before the game that this would be a difficult game, and on Saturday, when we were training, we discovered that this pitch is not good,” he added.
“So, for us, we had to manage and adapt to a different football, which is not the type of football we play.
“With this kind of pitch, it’s dangerous to play because each player has to make three or four controls before. We’re so happy about the results; I know that the performance was not good because we played a different football.”
These two sides will meet again at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, where the Phefeni Glamour Boys will aim to repeat what they achieved in the first encounter.
