McCarthy Earns His Spot, Says Ben Youssef

Kaizer Chiefs’ assistant coach, Khalil Ben Youssef, has stated that Aden McCarthy earned his spot in the team. Ben Youssef emphasized that McCarthy’s inclusion wasn’t a “gift,” but a result of his strong performance, as he was one of the best players during the pre-season camp.

McCarthy, the son of former Chiefs defender Fabian McCarthy, made his first start of the season in the team’s 2-0 victory against 1-0-man Stellenbosch at packed-to-the-rafters Athlone Stadium on Sunday.

The match saw McCarthy come close to scoring his first goal for the senior team with a powerful header at the back post that narrowly missed the mark.

Despite this, he had a solid defensive performance alongside captain Inacio Miguel and was named Man of the Match.

This victory marked a strong start to the season for the Chiefs, mirroring their success from the previous season’s opening game.

Ben Youssef’s comments shed light on McCarthy’s journey:

“Like I said, Aden was with us in training last season,” Ben Youssef said. “We also have to thank our DDC coach [Vela Khumalo], who prepared him for us. We stay in contact to discuss the availability of players and whether they are ready to help us.”

“I think Aden has been with us since we started training. His performance wasn’t very good when we first started last season, but we discussed things with him, and I have to thank him because he kept working and finished the season with us.

“He played the last two games [last season]. In the camp, he was one of the best players for us. As I said, he deserves to play, and we don’t give him gifts; it is his performance that allowed him to play for the team.”

Chiefs will aim to continue their winning streak when they host Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Wednesday (19:30).