Youssef hails Kaizer Chiefs' winning start to Premiership season
'We promised the AmaKhosi family a win, and we are also pleased for our coach and his wife. We are so proud of our players,' said Youssef afterwards.
'Our players played very well. We suffered a little bit in the first half because, after we scored following their red card, we thought that we had finished the game.
Playing against a 10-man opposition, Chiefs found themselves battling to contain a wave of aggressive attacks by Stellenbosch. This forced us to change our tactics in the second half.
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Ben Youssef hails luck and resilience as Kaizer Chiefs beat 10-man Stellenbosch
Aden McCarthy dedicated his Player of the Match award to coach Nasreddine Nabi and his father, former Kaizer Chiefs legend Fabian McCarthy. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagpix Kaizer Chiefs' caretaker coach Khalid Ben Youssef revealed that luck played a crucial role in their success as they fought off a determined 10-man Stellenbosch side to run out 2-0 winners at Athlone Stadium on Sunday evening. It turned out to be a memorable weekend for the Amakhosi, as they enjoyed a precarious yet triumphant Premiership victory, while their Gauteng rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, dropped points. The match took an early turn in Chiefs' favour when Nkosingiphile Ngcobo scored a stunning free-kick just 14 minutes into the game, shortly after Stellenbosch defender Siviwe Nkwali was sent off for a reckless challenge on Mduduzi Shabalala, who was goal-bound. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ The numerical advantage might have seemed a gift for Chiefs, but they quickly realised that facing a side reduced to 10 men is never straightforward. 'It's tough to play against a team with a player who has been sent off because when you then score, our players think that the game is going to be easier,' Ben Youssef remarked. He emphasised the challenge his players faced in maintaining focus, as Stellenbosch dominated possession and came close to equalising — at least four scoring attempts struck the woodwork. 'We found some difficulty in the first half, and we were lucky they didn't score,' he admitted. However, at half-time, a tactical shift saw Ngcobo replaced by Sibongiseni Mthethwa, whose introduction bolstered the Chiefs' midfield and led to a more balanced second half. Thank you Cape Town, and all the travelling Branches and Supporters ❤️✌🏼#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome — Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 10, 2025 'I was so proud of the performance of our players, and also the players coming from the bench. We discussed that before the game in our meeting — we need the players coming in from the bench to help us,' Ben Youssef added, highlighting the squad's depth. The match concluded with Chiefs benefiting from a late penalty, which Glody Lilepo expertly converted to seal the two-goal victory. Remarkably, this win marks their fifth consecutive away triumph against Stellenbosch, underlining Chiefs' dominance at the Winelands club's home ground. Looking ahead to their next fixture against Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Wednesday (kick-off 7.30pm), Ben Youssef expressed hope that new signings Ethan Chislett, Nkanyiso Shinga and Flavio Silva would be registered in time, pending work permits. 'I think when our new players are available, it will be better for us. They will give us more solutions, we are waiting for them, and we will continue to work,' he said. Chiefs' young centre-back Aden McCarthy dedicated his Player of the Match award to head coach Nasreddine Nabi and his father Fabian McCarthy, a Chiefs legend who also played at centre-back. The 21-year-old, who previously captained the Chiefs DDC team, was making only his second start for the senior side. 'This one is for my family — my mother, my father and my brother — but also most importantly for coach Nabi. He couldn't be here with us today,' he said. 'We've had a long process, a long journey since pre-season, but we've overcome the mental game, so now it's just a show on the field, and (Sunday) you saw it.'
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If the excitement of the opening round of Betway Premiership action at the weekend is anything to go by, then we are in for an interesting season. Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC, who finished in the top three last season, got off to stuttering starts with the Buccaneers and Stellies losing and the Brazilians drawing. Below are five the things we learnt from the opening round of fixtures that provided some edge-of-seat thrills and spills. Chiefs are up and running Kaizer Chiefs started their league campaign with a 2-0 win over Stellenbosch FC in Cape Town despite playing the match without coach Nasreddine Nabi, who is on compassionate leave after his wife was involved in a car accident in Tunisia. Amakhosi did not dominate the determined Stellies, who played for more than 70 minutes with 10 men after defender Siviwe Nkwali was shown red, but there were positive signs of good things to come.
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Kaizer Chiefs are off to a flying start after winning their opening Betway Premiership match against Stellenbosch FC this past weekend. Amakhosi won 2-0 at the Athlone Stadium to secure all three points away from home. The team had to overcome Stellies without their head coach, Nasreddine Nabi. The 60-year-old Tunisian mentor returned home to attend to his injured wife, who was involved in an accident. Nabi's assistant Khalil Ben Youssef and Amakhosi's second assistant coach, Cedric Kaze were on the touchline and guided the Glamour Boys to their opening league win. Amakhosi's midfielder, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, has been in sublime form since the pre-season. The 25-year-old attacker's contract with Kaizer Chiefs runs until 2026, but if the club don't exercise the option to extend his deal, he could leave for free next season. He has reportedly attracted interest from European teams. On Sunday, Mshini scored Amakhosi's opening goal against Stellies and was instrumental in the midfield. 'Last year it was not clear whether he was going to stay or not but this season it's believed that things have changed and the club is willing to keep him because the technical team wants him to be part of the squad which will play an important part this season. And now it's believed management has already exercised his one-year option on his contract so that they keep him until June 2027,' an insider told Soccer Laduma . Another player linked with Kaizer Chiefs is Khuliso Mudau. The lanky right-back has not featured for Masandawana this season. Zuko Mdunyelwa appears to have replaced Mudau at Downs but it remains to be seen if the Bafana Bafana star will leave Sundowns in the coming days. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
