Kaizer Chiefs’ first assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has weighed in on the performance and importance of midfielder Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa, explaining the player’s value and crucial role in the team’s engine room.
Mthethwa has been ever-present for Chiefs this season. He has started seven of the eight league games and both CAF Confederation Cup matches, clearly showing his significance in the midfield. His performances have been consistently strong, earning him the Man of the Match award in the Betway Premiership clash against Mamelodi Sundowns in August.
According to his coach Ben Youssef, the defensive midfielder has noticeably improved his game, providing Chiefs with much-needed defensive stability. The Amakhosi assistant coach also stated that Mthethwa excels at his primary role: protecting the defence.
He effectively sits in front of the centre-backs, acting as a shield by intercepting passes and making crucial tackles to break up opposition attacks, win the ball back, and disrupt the opponent’s rhythm.
However, critics often point to a weakness in Mthethwa’s attacking transition, specifically his role in connecting defence to attack by swiftly distributing the ball to launch counter-attacks. While this remains an area for growth, he has shown signs of improvement by making a few more forward advances this season.
BEN YOUSSEF HAILS ‘OX’ MTHETHWA’S ‘BIG MINDSET’ AND STABILITY
Ben Youssef gave high praise to ‘Ox’ Mthethwa’s attitude and work ethic, emphasising the player’s commitment to improvement and his defensive contribution to the Soweto giants.
“Ox has a big mindset and he is always working [hard] and serious in training,” said Ben Youssef after Amakhosi played out to a 1-1 draw against AmaZulu FC in a league tie at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
“We tried to analyse with him every training session and every game in individual meetings to explain to him what he has to correct to improve his game and perform better.
“I think he is working a lot, and he is helping us as well. He gives us a lot of stability, defensive stability, and he is the only player who has played all the games in 90 minutes. So he is one of the key players for us now.”
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