Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef is not underestimating Free Agents, saying they have prepared thoroughly like they have been doing in other matches to avoid the shock of their lives.

Chiefs will welcome Gauteng ABC Motsepe League side Free Agents in the Nedbank Cup first-round clash at FNB Stadium on Sunday (18:00).   

However, the Phefeni Glamour Boys usually struggle to beat teams from a lower division in the Nedbank Cup. 

Nasreddine Nabi’s side previously lost to TS Galaxy in 2019 in the final of the Nedbank Cup, and the Rockets were playing in the Motsepe Foundation Championship then. 

Last season, Chiefs lost in the Last 32 in the Nedbank Cup against the Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford on penalties at FNB Stadium.  

However, Ben Youssef believes that this time they can do better when they face the lower division side of Free Agents. 

 “For us as coaches, always when we play a particular game we have to be careful and we have to be careful when we play against a team from lower division,” Khalil said. 

 “Like I said, first we have to be prepared mentally. This is a tough game but not like when we play against big teams but we have to be prepared. 

 “In all countries in Africa, we have that problem when we play against teams from lover division that we’ve already won the game before even play, and for that, we’ve discussed a lot with the players that this game will be one of the difficult games in this season. 

 “We know what we have to do, we know from the start of the game what we have to do. We’ve prepared for this team, we saw a lot of games of them and I think our players always struggle against lower division teams but I think it’s for us to do our best.” 

Meanwhile, Khalil added he is aware that Amakhosi usually concede in every game but the positive thing they also create many chances. 

“For us when we prepare for the game we don’t think about how we defend and how we attack,” Khalil added. 

“There’s a lot of time when you have the ball, when you lose the ball, and when you don’t have the ball. I know that we conceded a lot of goals but I have to ask you how many opportunities the team [opponent] had when they played against us, and how many opportunities we made when we played them? 

“You will see each game we play we have more than five or six opportunities. The other usually have one or two opportunities, then they score but as for us, we are unlucky. 

“When you create a lot of opportunities and don’t score, you are always at risk. The problem for us like I said, all the teams that play against us make one or two opportunities and they score one of them. 

“After they’ve scored they start playing with a low block. We know our mistakes but no team does not have weak points.”