Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has given his verdict on the long-awaited senior debut of Luke Baartman, offering his assessment after the youngster played his first minutes for the club.
Baartman featured in his first official match for Chiefs in the Betway Premiership against TS Galaxy on Sunday at the Mbombela Stadium. The highly-rated youngster came on as second-half substitute in the goalless draw against the Rockets in the final match of 2025 in the PSL.
The SA U-20 international was one of several players acquired by Amakhosi in the off-season to strengthen the squad for the 2025/26 campaign. Baartman joined Chiefs from Cape Town Spurs after their relegation to the ABC Motsepe League.
Baartman, along with fellow CT Spurs attacker Asanele Velebayi, initially could not feature for Chiefs after the Urban Warriors controversially withheld their clearances, arguing that their existing contracts prevented a free transfer.
However, the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber [DRC] ultimately declared both players free agents, giving them the green light to officially begin life with the Soweto giants. Despite the successful legal fight for his clearance, Baartman struggled to break into the Chiefs’ matchday squad due to stiff competition.
WHAT BEN YOUSSEF MAKES OF BAARTMAN’S DEBUT
Following the debut, co-coach Ben Youssef confirmed that Baartman delivered a promising performance against Galaxy. He added that the opportunity was earned, stating, “Everyone deserves to play.”
“I think all players deserve to play. We have a big squad now, and there’s a lot of competition between the players,” Ben Youssef said.
“For us as coaches, we are with them at the training sessions, and we see which player is more ready for the game. We also prepare the plan of the game on substitutions.
“Baartman came on in the 80th minute. He played well in the last 10 minutes. He created a lot of opportunities for us. We have to continue working; the most important thing is the team and not the player.”
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