Ben Youssef blasts ‘inexperience’ after Chiefs collapse in Suez

Khalil Ben Youssef

Cape Town – Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef says inexperience and costly defensive mistakes condemned Amakhosi to a 2–1 defeat against Egyptian side Al Masry in their CAF Confederation Cup Group D opener in Suez on Sunday.

Chiefs, featuring in the group phase of the competition for the first time, conceded midway through the second half when captain Brandon Petersen gave away a penalty, before a late defensive blunder by Inacio Miguel gifted the hosts the winner in the 87th minute.

Dillan Solomons scored Chiefs’ only goal.

According to Times Live, Ben Youssef said more than 80% of the squad were playing continental football for the first time and struggled with the demands of the competition.

“I think more than 80% of our players were playing this type of competition for the first time; it [the Confederation Cup] is different from the PSL. It’s a competition where you need to be more focused and be more aggressive,” the report quoted him as saying.

“We were expecting this game to be tough for both teams. I am happy about the performance of our players – I think we did very well.

“The only problem was experience. In this type of tournament, if you want to win, you can’t make the type of mistakes we made.”

The co-coach insisted Chiefs “deserved at least a draw” and praised the overall performance, but admitted that at this level, “small details are crucial” and lapses are punished immediately.

The Egyptian side’s coach Nabil Kouki said Al Masry had studied Chiefs and identified weaknesses to exploit, praising his team for executing their tactical plan, Idiski Times reported.

“I am happy with the win and securing the three points in the first match. We studied Kaizer Chiefs well and succeeded in exploiting their weaknesses,” the report cited Yallakora. as quoting him.

“I divided the match into several phases, and our plan resulted in the victory. Al-Masry relies on collective performance, so we were able to compensate for the [injured absences] effectively.

“We adjusted our players’ positioning during the second half, and the pressure helped in the scoring the eventual winner. We aimed to secure a victory, and we will immediately begin preparing the players for the ZESCO match.

“Recovery will be our only weapon. We strive to collect [maximum] points in the matches played at our [home] stadium during the group stage.”

Analysts also criticised Amakhosi’s defensive errors, with former Chiefs forward Junior Khanye calling Miguel’s clearance mistake “a high school error” and arguing that the midfield lacked balance, according to Goal.

Chiefs travelled to Egypt without several attacking players, including Glody Lilepo, Khanyisa Mayo and Wandile Duba, due to injuries, leaving Ben Youssef to rely on a makeshift frontline.

Attention now shifts to Saturday’s home clash against two-time Confederation Cup champions Zamalek at Peter Mokaba Stadium, aording to official club coverage.

Ben Youssef said Chiefs must win all their home fixtures to remain competitive in the group.

“Zamalek are one of the best teams in Africa. If we want to reach the knockout stages, we cannot afford any mistakes at home. We have to learn fast, stay confident and work harder,” he said.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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