Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef celebrated a gritty point at the home of the champions — but tempered the mood with concern for an injured Mduduzi Shabalala.
Kaizer Chiefs had just done what very few sides do this season, held Mamelodi Sundowns on their own turf, and the Amakhosi co-coach was quick to credit his players for answering every question that was asked of them.
“I think it was a real battle tonight, a big fight for us,” Ben Youssef said on SuperSport TV.
“There was a lot of noise outside about this game but we showed we’re up for it, treating every game like a cup final.”
It was a sentiment Ben Youssef has echoed throughout the season, with Chiefs focused squarely on their own campaign rather than the title race unfolding around them.
True to that message, Flavio Da Silva gave Chiefs a deserved lead with a fine finish in the first half, and despite Brayan Leon equalising for the hosts in the second half, Chiefs held firm to claim a point that further complicates Sundowns’ title defence.
The result, though, came at a cost. Jayden Adams caught Shabalala with a heavy sliding tackle that forced the Chiefs midfielder off injured, and Ben Youssef confirmed the news was not good.
“You saw the injury, sometimes we need protection for players,” the co-coach said. “He will miss one or two months out.”
The absence of Shabalala – one of the brightest young talents at Naturena – will sting, with the end of the season and a potential push for CAF qualification still very much alive.
Despite the setback, Ben Youssef was full of praise for the collective effort his squad put in, singling out players by name with characteristic warmth.
“I prefer to speak about the whole team, Ndlovu, Maboe, Monyane, Msimango, Aden – I think all of them showed good character today,” he said. “Even Shabalala, before his injury, gave everything.”
Lebohang Maboe, making an emotional return to Loftus Versfeld for the first time since leaving Sundowns, started as the holding midfielder and was among those who caught the eye for Chiefs on the night. Ben Youssef also explained his decision to substitute Siphesihle Ndlovu before the final whistle.
“Ndlovu we made the substitution because he was close to getting a second yellow and in that situation, we don’t want to lose him, we introduced Ox [Mthethwa] to give us more balance,” he said. “All the players deserve Man of the Match – Monyane, Ndlovu, Lilepo – all of them played well.”
With three games remaining – against Sekhukhune, AmaZulu and Chippa United, Ben Youssef made it clear that Chiefs are not done yet.
“Both teams deserved a point from this but we now have three more games and we need to continue to fight for these points,” he said. “There’s progress in this team if you look at the results, how many points we have, everything confirms the progress. We have three more games to confirm that.”
Ben Youssef and co-coach Cedric Kaze took over from Nasreddine Nabi mid-season, with their primary objectives being to secure either a trophy or a CAF Champions League spot.
