Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has apologised to the club’s supporters following their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday evening.
The Soweto giants welcomed Stellies to the FNB Stadium, desperate for maximum points to keep pace with title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Sekhukhune United. Amakhosi showed immediate intent, carving out several clear-cut opportunities in the opening minutes of the encounter.
The Naturena-based side eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute through Flavio Silva. However, Chiefs’ early dominance was undermined by wastefulness; several gilt-edged chances went begging that could have effectively buried the game before the interval.
Stellenbosch staged a resilient second-half comeback, with goals from Langelihle Phili and Devin Titus securing a 2-1 victory and three crucial away points. The Western Cape outfit has now become a true “bogey team” for Amakhosi, defeating them three times this season across the Carling Knockout Cup, the Nedbank Cup, and now the league.
Following recent exits from both the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup, the league remains the only silverware within reach for Chiefs. However, this latest setback deals a massive blow to those aspirations. Chiefs currently sit fourth on the log with 30 points from 16 matches—trailing leaders Sundowns by eight points, despite the Brazilians having played an extra game.
WHAT BEN YOUSSEF SAID TO CHIEFS FANS AFTER STELLENBOSCH DEFEAT
Speaking after the heartbreaking result against Stellenbosch, Khalil Ben Youssef apologised to the Amakhosi faithful while also admitting that the opponents were better than them in the second half.
“Firstly, I want to apologise to our fans; we are incredibly sorry for this result. I felt we dominated the first half and were the better side,” Ben Youssef said.
“We created numerous opportunities, but we have to learn that when you are on top, you must be clinical. If you don’t take your chances, you pay the price. We started the second half poorly and conceded within five minutes. Although we tried to add value through substitutions, Stellenbosch was the better team in the second period and deserved the win.
“We don’t have time to dwell on this. We have another important game [Soweto Derby] in three days, so we must keep working and focus on our preparation.”
Looking to return to winning ways, Chiefs shift their focus to this Saturday’s highly anticipated Betway Premiership tie against Pirates at the FNB Stadium, with both three points and bragging rights at stake.
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