Ben Youssef justifies six-man defence against Gallants

Kaizer Chiefs’ assistant coach, Khalil Ben Youssef, revealed the tactical thinking behind Wednesday’s match against Marumo Gallants, explaining the reasoning for the unexpected six-man defence.

While many observers were puzzled by the defensively focused approach, Ben Youssef defended the strategy he put into action alongside Cedric Kaze, with head coach Nasreddine Nabi having temporarily stepped aside due to “ongoing discussions.”

The setup, in which the Amakhosi assistant coach deployed a six-man defensive shield during the 1-1 draw, was a strategy he later explained as vital for controlling the Betway Premiership match at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

The formation featured a three-man backline of left centre-back Bradley Cross, Inácio Miguel and right centre-back Zitha Kwinika, with defensive midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa playing in front of them. In the left wing-back position, he deployed Paseka Mako while Reeve Frosler operated on the right.

BEN YOUSSEF: ‘WE WERE NOT DEFENSIVE; WE PLAYED HIGH BLOCK’

Chiefs lined up with an attacking front three of Khanyisa Mayo, Ashley Du Preez, and Gaston Sirino. Ben Youssef clarified that the goal was not to be defensive but to control the game and apply pressure Gallants.

“We played in a 3-4-3 today [Wednesday night] with a high block to press Gallants higher because they are playing a game with short passes this season, without as many long balls,” Ben Youssef stated. “We tried to press them higher and to recover the ball, and I think we recovered a lot of balls and got a lot of opportunities to score. It was not a defensive approach; I don’t agree with that notion.”

Meanwhile, the draw against Gallants marked Chiefs’ third consecutive game without a win, following two successive defeats to Sekhukhune United and Kabuscorp SCP. However, Ben Youssef emphasised that Amakhosi are focused on improving their performance, confident that results will follow.

“I know that in the last three games we didn’t win, but the most important thing for us is the performance rather than the result because we know when we play well, the results will come,” he added. “All the players performed very well against Gallants; we were just unlucky not to score and finish this game with a win.”

Chiefs have little time to dwell on the dropped points as they now prepare for a crucial CAF Confederation Cup match against Kabuscorp on Saturday. They must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to advance.

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