Kaizer Chiefs coach Ben Youssef fumes over pre-match chaos in Soweto derby

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ben Youssef Khalid was left visibly frustrated after his side’s 1-1 draw with Orlando Pirates in a heated Betway Premiership Soweto Derby, strongly criticizing the scenes that unfolded before kickoff at FNB Stadium.

The highly anticipated clash between South Africa’s football giants ended in a stalemate, with Pule Mmodi putting Chiefs ahead before Kamogelo Sebelebele restored parity for Pirates. But much of the post-match conversation shifted away from the football, as Ben Youssef condemned what he described as unacceptable pre-match disturbances.

Speaking after the game, the Chiefs tactician expressed disappointment that the build-up to such a marquee fixture was overshadowed by security concerns and disorder around the stadium.

“Before I start to talk about the game, I have to send a small message,” he said. “I’m not from South Africa, but I know how many people watched the game. I received many calls from people asking where they can watch the game.”

The coach did not hold back in his criticism, insisting that the incidents before kickoff damaged the image of South African football on a global scale.

“I think what happened before the game is something that we can’t accept. We are sending a bad picture of our football,” he added. “People are waiting to see football, but what we saw before the game, we can’t accept.”

Ben Youssef also raised concerns over safety, claiming that the situation directly affected players and the integrity of the occasion.

“It’s about safety. People from outside came to fight our players in our own half. I think this kind of thing is a shame,” he said. “If you want to win the league, you have to beat teams with football, not like that.”

Despite the disruption, the Chiefs coach praised his players for maintaining focus in a physically demanding encounter. He described the first half as a tense battle, with both sides struggling to impose themselves in open play.

“We tried in the first half just to contain Pirates. It was more of a physical battle, but I think we performed very well because after what happened before the game, the players showed character,” he explained.

Chiefs eventually fell behind after conceding a costly goal, but Ben Youssef insisted his side still showed enough quality to deserve all three points.

“In this kind of game, if you make a small mistake, you pay. Today we made one mistake and conceded,” he said. “But I’m so happy with the players’ performance, even those who came in did very well.”

Despite the draw, the Chiefs boss remained adamant that his team should have left with maximum points.

“I’m not happy about the result. I think we deserved to win the game,” he concluded.

The result leaves both sides sharing the spoils in one of the season’s most intense fixtures, but the focus now shifts to the off-field concerns raised by the Chiefs coach, which are likely to spark further debate in South African football circles.