Chiefs assistant coach pleased with flawless performance

Three games, three wins, four goals scored and none conceded sounds unfamiliar if you associate it with Kaizer Chiefs of recent years.

That is what they have done in the Premier Soccer League since the 2025-26 campaign started. .

The last time Chiefs achieved the feat was during the 2014-15 season, when they went all the way to be crowned league champions. That was the last time they finished top of the standings.

Amakhosi share top spot with Sekhukhune United, the other team with a 100% record after three matches.

While showering his team with praise after beating Richards Bay 1-0 at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef said they have done well so far but there is a long way to go.

Ben Youssef said in their past two home wins against Polokwane City and Richards Bay, Chiefs struggled to deal with a low block where teams defend with numbers.

A 57th minute strike by Gaston Sirino gave Chiefs all the spoils, but Ben Youssef was not pleased they couldn’t add more goals playing against a team that failed to attack throughout the 90 minutes. 

“After we scored, we started to enjoy more. But we have to say congratulations to Richards Bay because even when they conceded they stayed in a low block. They decided not to play, only to defend. 

“They didn’t give us a lot of opportunity and lot of space, but I think in the last 15 minutes we got two more opportunities to score the second goal, but we were unlucky not to. You win 1-0 or 3-0 but the most important thing is three points.

“The most important thing is we won with a clean sheet. We’re happy about our defensive organisation and I think it speaks about the difference between this season and last season. We have a lot of work to do with the new players and I think our performance will be better.”

New players are not the only ones who will boost Chiefs when they welcome champions Mamelodi Sundowns next Wednesday.

Ben Youssef confirmed head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who missed the first three games against Stellenbosch FC, Polokwane and Bay, will be back in town after attending to an emergency involving his wife back home in Tunisia.

The new players Chiefs have been unable to use so far because of work permits include striker Flavio Silva, left back Nkanyiso Shinga and midfielder Ethan Chislett.

An announcement about more new players — former Sundowns striker Etiosa Ighodaro and Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman from Cape Town Spurs — was made during the break against Bay on Tuesday.

Some of the players may give Chiefs what they lacked so far: aggression and being clinical in their finishing. 

Ben Youssef is happy that players coming off the bench have helped the team to win matches. Against Polokwane it was Siphesihle Ndlovu who came on as a second half substitute and scored the winner and on Tuesday it was Sirino's turn.

“Every prematch we discuss the importance of players coming off the bench. Every time players come on, they give us more solutions and help the team. We’re happy about their performance and mentality.

“Some players, if they stay on the bench, they start to become angry and are not motivated to play — but we’re showing players coming from the bench are hungry to help the team. I think they did very well.”