Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef will begin their Premier Soccer League head-coaching careers by standing in opposite dugouts, as Sekhukhune United host Durban City in the Betway Premiership’s opening weekend at Seshego Stadium on Saturday.
The pair, once trusted lieutenants together under Nasreddine Nabi at Kaizer Chiefs, were both dismissed at the end of last season at Naturena before quickly finding new homes – Kaze at Sekhukhune United and Youssef at newly ambitious Durban City.
The fixture list has immediately reunited them, but this time as rivals, in what promises to be one of the standout narratives of the league’s first round of matches in Polokwane.
Different emotions for former allies
Speaking at the league’s season launch in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the two coaches offered contrasting views on what it will feel like to face each other for the first time as number ones on the touchline.
Youssef insisted he will block out any sentiment as he focuses purely on giving Durban City a winning start.
“No emotions because this is part of our job,” said Youssef, stressing that the occasion is not about the two coaches. “I was with Cedric at Kaizer Chiefs and before that we were at Young Africans in Tanzania. It will be a game between Durban City and Sekhukhune United and you win, lose or draw.
“But if you win, it will not be like you have won a trophy, but it is obvious we need to start the season well. I said before that between 20 and 30 percent is from the coaches and the rest is from the players.”
Kaze, however, admitted he expects the reunion to stir emotions, given the journey they have shared.
“It is true that I have worked with Khalil for many years and we are very close friends. It is going to be an emotional one, but that shows the progression that we have made from assistant coaches to head coaches in the PSL.
“I am sure the game is going to be entertaining and I am looking forward to it.”
Youssef drawn by Durban City ambition
Youssef revealed that he had several options on the table after leaving Chiefs, but was persuaded by Durban City’s vision and the opportunity to compete on the continental stage.
He said he was “inundated” with approaches from PSL clubs before choosing the coastal side, who have swiftly made their mark in the top flight.
“The other important thing is that the team is playing in the Confederation Cup. I like working for a team that is going to challenge me.
“In their first season in the PSL, they won the Nedbank Cup and finished inside the top eight. There is going to be pressure this season to do better and that is one of the reasons I accepted.”
City’s early success – lifting the Nedbank Cup at the first attempt and securing a top-eight league finish – has created high expectations, something Youssef appears eager to embrace under chairman Farook Kadodia.
Kaze backs continuity at Sekhukhune
Kaze said Sekhukhune United’s preparations have gone smoothly and believes he is inheriting a stable, upwardly mobile side rather than one in need of an overhaul.
“Preparation has been good, we had time to work and put some juice into the players and work on our principles and way of playing,” he explained.
“Sekhukhune United is a team that has been consistent over the past few seasons and they finished in the top five for the last two seasons.
“This means there are a lot of things that they have done right. We want to contribute and improve on the things that they have done right.
“The main reason I didn’t change a lot of things is because they are a team that has been doing a lot of things well.”
One of the few notable changes has been in the technical team, with former Richards Bay man Papi Zothwane arriving as assistant coach.
Kaze said he wanted a figure who could command instant respect in the dressing room due to his playing pedigree.
“I saw Papi at Richards Bay and I know he was a good player. We want those types of figures to be in our technical set-up. We want coaches who have had success when they were players because the current ones can identify with them.
“There is a respect when the message comes from him because they know he has done it before.”
As Sekhukhune United and Durban City prepare to launch their campaigns, the subplot of two former partners now plotting each other’s downfall adds an intriguing edge to a match that already carries early-season significance in the Betway Premiership.
