Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr has refused to give away much regarding the futures of assistant coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, despite their role in securing the club’s best league finish in recent seasons.
The coaching duo ended the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season with a slender 1-0 defeat against Chippa United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Chippa found the back of the net in the first-half with a goal from former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Sammy Seabi. The maximum points were crucial for the Chilli Boys as they climbed to the 13th position on the league table to avoid relegation.
On the other hand, Chiefs came to the match against Chippa having already qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup next season after securing a number three spot on the log.
For Chiefs, finishing in the top three is their best record in comparison to the past two seasons, where they finished outside the top eight. The Glamour Boys wrapped up the campaign in third spot with 54 points, having registered 15 wins, nine draws, and six defeats in 30 matches.
Meanwhile, Chiefs have a major call to make on the future of Kaze and Ben Youssef, as the two coaches have served as interim coaches after the exit of head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
Ben Youssef and Kaze took over the hot seat in September 2025 to replace Nabi, having served as the two assistant coaches to the Tunisian tactician.
WHAT KAIZER MOTAUNG JR SAID ABOUT THE FUTURE OF KAZE AND BEN YOUSSEF
After guiding Chiefs to the respectable position behind league champions Orlando Pirates and second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Motaung Jr has played the cards close to his chest regarding the coaching situation at the club, revealing that they’ll have a discussion and make a decision.
“I think now everyone can see the defensive shape that we had right and how we had some of the best goal differences in many years. Everyone behind the scenes has worked very hard, and the co-coaches themselves must take a lot of credit, the players as well,” Motaung Jr said on SuperSport TV.
“Everything is a culmination of work and planning, I mean, today [Saturday], for example, we must give the coaches credit, we had an average age of 21 years on the pitch in terms of players. Giving a debut to someone like Takalani [Mazhamba] is a testament to [Ilyes] Mzoughi, who believes in young talent, and he understands how important it is to groom them.
“I mean, Takalani for him to be at the age of 18, he’s the youngest goalkeeper to make a debut since 1998, a lot of bravery from the coaches, and looking to plan for the future. Obviously, this is the last game, we’ll sit down and look at all the reports and see the way forward.”
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