Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze - the two Assistant coaches are keeping Kaizer Chiefs perfect in Nasreddine Nabi's Absence
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
You have to give it to Kaizer Chiefs assistant coaches, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze — they know how to get the team firing in the absence of Nasreddine Nabi.
Chiefs' master tactician, Nabi, hasn't been with the team since the start of the season, as he had to travel back home to Tunisia for a family emergency.
Enter his trusted lieutenants, Ben Youssef and Kaze. The duo have been on cruise mode, guiding the team to back-to-back wins in the Betway Premiership since the start.
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It's been a fantastic ride for the pair and the team, as they didn't take their foot off the pedal after beating Stellenbosch 2-0 and Polokwane City 1-0 respectively.
The recent wins and clean sheets added another feather to their caps, as they also won their first two games in charge 1-0 and 4-0 after Nabi was red-carded last season.
Now, with four wins and clean sheets on the trot when they are at the helm, it's safe to say Chiefs are in capable hands when Nabi is not around.
This is not to suggest that Nabi is the problem in the dugout — far from it. But what's clear is that Chiefs are a different beast altogether when the 59-year-old coach is absent.
There could be many reasons for this, especially considering the 'open working conditions and environment' within the club's technical team.
Nabi speaks limited English and has had to rely on Kaze for translation during his media briefings — both pre- and post-match.
While he might be able to get his message across in English to players during training and on match day, he's less fluent than Kaze and Ben Youssef.
That could be one of the Achilles' heels for Nabi, especially during critical phases of a game when the team needs to react quickly.
Nabi has shown that he is a team player rather than a sole decision-maker, often communicating and heeding advice from his technical staff — especially Kaze — but ultimately, the buck stops with him.
So, in cases where contrasting suggestions arise from his staff, the final word and decision must come from him. That, at times, could come back to bite him.
Ben Youssef and Kaze might not face the same difficulty; they could more easily find common ground for a balanced approach.
That could be a masterstroke, especially given Kaze's admission that Nabi trusts them to lead the team without his interference during his absence.
Young, modern coaches often help young players flourish, as there tends to be mutual respect and understanding beyond football.
There's usually more freedom and trust between the two parties, leading to the kind of good fortunes that benefit the team across the board.
Playing under pressure can either make or break a team. While Chiefs won the Nedbank Cup last season, the reality is they still endured a disappointing campaign.
Pressure seemed to get to Nabi last season as he backtracked on building the team around youngsters, instead relying mostly on senior players — an approach that still failed.
Match Day Experience📹🎥
Congratulations to Victor Leeuw, Kaizer Chiefs Season Ticket holder, who was upgraded to a VIP Suite last night ✌#Amakhosi4Life #BetwayPrem #AlwaysHome pic.twitter.com/ndkEVhLhoQ — Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 14, 2025
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