Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has voiced his frustration over the injury sustained by Mduduzi Shabalala during Amakhosi’s 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday night.
The high-stakes Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria saw Chiefs take an early lead through Flavio da Silva in the 25th minute. However, Sundowns found the equaliser in the 54th minute via Colombian striker Bryan Lèon.
The turning point for the Soweto giants came just before the interval. Shabalala was forced off in the 45th minute, replaced by Gaston Sirino, following a heavy challenge from Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams. It was later confirmed that the 22-year-old suffered a hand fracture and was hospitalised.
Shabalala has been one of Chiefs’ brightest sparks this season, making 36 appearances across all competitions while contributing five goals and two assists.
‘HE WAS FIGHTING TO BE PART OF BAFANA BAFANA AND THE WORLD CUP’: KHALIL BEN YOUSSEF
Ben Youssef did not hold back when discussing the severity of the injury and the lack of protection offered to players on the pitch by the match officials.
“I hope Shabalala will be back as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury—a fracture in his hand,” Ben Youssef stated. “It is devastating because he was fighting so hard to be part of the Bafana Bafana squad and the [2026 FIFA] World Cup.”
The Chiefs co-coach went on to criticise the refereeing standards in SA regarding player safety, suggesting that a yellow card was insufficient punishment for the challenge by Adams on Shabalala.
“We need to understand that we must protect our younger players. Football shouldn’t be played this way. You cannot allow these kinds of challenges and only issue a yellow card. It fails to protect the players,” he added.
“Now, we have lost Shabalala. We saw a similarly dangerous challenge on Gaston Sirino in the match. We must protect our players from these types of tackles.”
As it stands, the Glamour Boys sit third in the Betway Premiership standings, having collected 48 points from 27 matches.
RELATED STORY: Ben Youssef names four Chiefs stars who deserve Bafana call-ups