Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has addressed the future of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef ahead of next season.
The duo’s contracts expire in June. They originally joined Amakhosi alongside former head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who left the club early in the campaign.
Kaze and Ben Youssef took the reins for the remainder of the season after Nabi’s departure.
While they narrowly missed out on the CAF Confederation Cup knockout stages, they secured a third-place finish in the domestic league with 54 points from 30 matches, ensuring qualification for the tournament again next season, and booked their spot in the MTN8.
Statistically, the team showed significant improvement compared to recent years—most notably last season, when the Soweto giants finished outside the top eight.
Motaung Jr. commended the overall progress made under the coaches, particularly the development of young players.
He stated that management will review reports from the technical team and conduct a thorough assessment before any final decisions are made.
“Well, I think now, I mean, everyone can see the vast defensive shape that we’ve had right now and how we’ve had one of our best sort of goal differences in many years,” Motaung Jr. told SuperSport TV.
“Everyone behind the scenes has worked very hard and the co-coaches themselves must take a lot of credit.
“The players must take a lot of credit. Our recruitment department must take a lot of credit because I think everything is definitely a culmination of work and planning.
“I mean, today, for example, I mean, we also must give credit to the coaches. We have an average age of 20 years and I think 21 years on the pitch today. You know, we’ve given a debut to someone like Takalani, [credit] goes to coach Mzoughi, who believes in our young talent and understands how important it is to groom them.
“I mean, Takalani, for him to be the age of 18, youngest goalkeeper to make a debut since 1998, you know, a lot of bravery from the coaches, looking to plan for the future.
“So, I think, obviously, this is the last game. We’ll wind-down, sit down, consolidate all reports and see the way forward.”