Former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has issued a blunt, uncompromising reality check to the Amakhosi faithful, stating categorically that the club is nowhere near ready to lift the Betway Premiership title next season.
The Tunisian tactician, who recently parted ways with the Soweto giants alongside Cedric Kaze, believes the club’s hierarchy and fan base need to ditch unrealistic expectations. Despite guiding the Glamour Boys to a commendable third-place finish last term—the club’s highest league position in six years—Ben Youssef insists the current squad infrastructure is years away from dethroning South Africa’s elite.
The Four-Year Blueprint: What Chiefs Need to Rule Mzansi Again
Speaking in an unfiltered interview with sports broadcaster Andile Ncube, Ben Youssef emphasized that championship-winning teams are not built overnight through quick-fix technical changes.
According to the former interim boss, Naturena requires a minimum three-to-four-year cycle of unbroken stability to realistically mount a title charge.
BEN YOUSSEF'S FORMULA FOR AMAKHOSI SUCCESS
Elite, sustained squad recruitment over multiple windows
Long-term technical continuity (keeping the same head coach)
Cultural identity (maintaining an identical mentality & playing style)
Khalil Ben Youssef on Being Honest with the Fans:
“I think, to make things easier, we have to be honest with people and explain to them. Yes, we played to win, but we were not ready to win. If they continue [building] for a minimum of three or four years, the team will be ready to fight for the league.”
The Aden McCarthy Warning: Stop Losing Top Talent
To illustrate his point on the flaws in Chiefs’ current structural strategy, Ben Youssef pointed directly to the high-profile exit of star defender Aden McCarthy.
The tactical mastermind warned that a rebuilding club cannot afford to shed its most reliable performers if it hopes to establish defensive consistency.
- The Impact: McCarthy featured in over 60% to 70% of Amakhosi’s fixtures last season, establishing himself as one of the league’s standout center-backs.
- The Flaw: “Now you lose him and you have to replace him. If you are building, you have to keep your top players and continue to build.”
With the co-coaching experiment officially over and both Ben Youssef and Kaze out the door, Kaizer Chiefs are once again starting from scratch as they search for a new commander-in-chief to spearhead the 2026/27 campaign.
