Kaizer Chiefs have decided to part ways with co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, with their contracts set to expire, FARPost has learnt.
The decision comes after an internal review of the season by the club’s management and technical leadership. Following that assessment, Chiefs resolved to take a different direction with their technical team ahead of the new campaign.
Kaze and Ben Youssef guided Chiefs to their best league finish in six years. Under their guidance, Chiefs climbed from ninth place last season to third, securing their best league finish in six years. Their work restored some optimism around the club after several difficult seasons in the Betway Premiership era.
Ben Youssef arrived in South Africa alongside former Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi as part of the Tunisian mentor’s technical team when he joined Amakhosi. He had signed a two-year contract with an option to extend, aligned with Nabi’s. Kaze then followed midway through the season to replace Fernando Da Cruz, who left the club just weeks before the start of the 2024/25 season.
The Burundian initially signed a one-year deal, which the club extended at the end of last season. When the club cut ties with Nabi early in the just-ended season, the duo stepped in to guide Amakhosi. They played key roles in the club’s set-up during a season in which Chiefs showed significant improvement.
CHIEFS’ INCOMING COACH’S TASK
Despite the progress made, the club has opted to appoint a new head coach as part of a broader restructuring ahead of next season. Amakhosi will be keen to close the gap on their crosstown rivals, Orlando Pirates, who were crowned Betway Premiership champions on Saturday.
Pirates had not won the league in 14 years, and they crowned the season with a treble, having also won the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout Cup. On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns won the CAF Champions League for the second time. They first won it in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane. Amakhosi are back in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.
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