Former Kaizer Chiefs co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze could both lose their jobs this week after struggling to make a strong start at their new clubs.
The pair left Kaizer Chiefs at the end of last season following an impressive campaign in which they guided Amakhosi to third place in the Betway Premiership. Their work at Naturena led to immediate opportunities elsewhere, with Ben Youssef appointed by Durban City and Kaze taking charge of Sekhukhune United.
Neither coach, however, has been able to reproduce that success during the opening stages of the new campaign.
Kaze’s position appears to be the most precarious. Sekhukhune United began with encouraging results, but their form subsequently deteriorated and the club suffered four successive defeats. Three of those losses came against Orlando Pirates.
FARPost reports that Sekhukhune United have now separated from Kaze, although the club has not yet formally confirmed his departure. If the reports are accurate, the former Kaizer Chiefs coach could become the first head coach to be dismissed in the current season.
Ben Youssef is also under increasing pressure at Durban City. A home defeat by Stellenbosch has intensified scrutiny of his position, with reports suggesting that his future at the club is now in serious doubt.
The problems facing both coaches have prompted renewed debate over Kaizer Chiefs’ decision to end their partnership with the duo after only one season.
Ben Youssef and Kaze were tasked with rebuilding Amakhosi and improving the club’s league position. Their stated objective was to finish in the top two and secure a place in the CAF Champions League.
They did not achieve that target, but Kaizer Chiefs still finished third under their guidance and qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup. That progress has led some supporters to argue that the coaching team should have been given another season to continue its work at Naturena.
The situation has also attracted attention because Fernando Da Cruz, who briefly worked with Ben Youssef as a co-assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs, is now the club’s head coach.
Kaze’s reported departure from Sekhukhune United, combined with the pressure on Ben Youssef at Durban City, may therefore lead to closer examination of the decision to move on from the former Kaizer Chiefs coaching duo.
The two coaches had been praised for helping Amakhosi recover sufficiently to secure a top-three finish, despite falling short of the club’s initial ambitions. Their contrasting fortunes since leaving Naturena have instead left both facing questions about their immediate futures.
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