Chiefs coach takes aim at ‘another team’ in fixtures complaint

‘It’s no excuses but reality, if you want to improve, you need to help your team,’ Ben Youssef told reporters

Kaizer Chiefs co-head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has complained about Amakhosi’s hectic fixture schedule, while also taking an apparent swipe at Orlando Pirates.

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Ben Youssef is clearly upset that Chiefs have not been allowed to postpone domestic fixtures, while they have been playing in the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup.

‘We are Kaizer Chiefs but we’re representing South Africa’

“It’s no excuses but reality, if you want to improve, you need to help your team,” Ben Youssef told reporters after his side’s 2-1 Confederation Cup Group D win over Al Masry on Sunday.

“We’re Kaizer Chiefs, but we’re representing South Africa. We did this last season, some teams played their last, five, six games in May.

“This season we played 15 (Betway Premiership) games, another team, I don’t want to say names, have played 15 games and they don’t play (in CAF).”

Pirates were knocked out of the Caf Champions League this season before the group stages.

“In every country I have worked in, when you play CAF games, you’re allowed to change the fixtures.”

Chiefs’ win over Al Masry moved them to the top of Confederation Cup Group D.

This year, Chiefs have had domestic midweek fixtures ahead of Group D matches against Zesco (both home and away) and Al Masry. Ironically this week, Amakhosi are not playing on the home front, as they travel to Cairo to take on Zamalek in their final Group D match on Sunday.

‘You can do nothing’

Chiefs have also not been helped by the fact that only one of their home matches this year has been played at FNB Stadium. Both of their CAF games were played in Polokwane.

“We played five or four games away now,” added Ben Youssef.

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“We’re in a situation … fly back tomorrow, we prepare in between games with no training sessions. We play, the next day it’s rest or recovery, then on MD-1 (match day minus one) you can do nothing.”

“I remember last season they (Pirates) played CAF games, they changed the fixtures and played their last five games in May.”