Chiefs’ Ben Youssef lauds midfield duo

‘I think Maboe and Ndlovu are both showing good combinations with each other,’ said the Chiefs co-head coach.

Kaizer Chiefs co-head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has praised the impact Lebohang Maboe and Siphesihle Ndlovu have had at Amakhosi.

Chiefs’ new recruits

Maboe and Ndlovu were both added to the Chiefs ranks this season and their experience has been key in Amakhosi’s much improved performances in the Betway Premiership.

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Chiefs finished ninth in the table last season, but head into their last five games of this campaign in third. If Amakhosi can finish in that position they will qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup for the second successive season.

Ben Youssef and Cedri Kaze’s side take on Siwelele this evening at the Free State Stadium, with a chance to extend their lead over fourth-placed AmaZulu to eight points.

Maboe came to Chiefs having won multiple Betway Premiership titles at Mamelodi Sundowns, while Ndlovu spent three seasons at Orlando Pirates.

Both have been key players as Chiefs have gone seven Premiership games in a row unbeaten, heading into their clash with Siwelele. And both started on Sunday as Chiefs held title chasing Pirates to a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium.

“I think Maboe and Ndlovu are both showing good combinations with each other,” said Ben Youssef.

“They know how to play football. They are smart players and give us more balance defensively and offensively.”

Chiefs’ goalscorer against Pirates was Pule Mmodi, the forward netting his first goal for Amakhosi this season in domestic competition. His only other goal was the winner against Zesco United in the Caf Confederation Cup group stages at the end of January.

Mmodi, indeed, had not featured in Chiefs’ squad for three league games before the Pirates match.

Ben Youssef – ‘We have to make rotations’

“We have a big squad, we have to make rotations,” said Ben Youssef.

“If we make rotations people ask why we don’t keep players and if we keep players people ask why we don’t rotate.

“People from the outside are not in training sessions. We are there every day with them for six hours, in training and after. We are the only ones able to judge which players can play. It is about the training sessions, we don’t have ‘names’ here.”

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Lehlohonolo Seema’s Siwelele last lost a home match in the league on September 23, a 1-0 defeat by Pirates.

Siwelele, indeed, have lost just one of their last 12 Premiership matches, but have also won just two. They are the league’s draw specialists, with 11 so far in 25 games played.