Ben Youssef sends support to injured Shabalala as Kaizer Chiefs coach calls for greater player protection

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ben Youssef has expressed his sympathy and support for Mduduzi Shabalala following the midfielder’s serious injury in the clash against Mamelodi Sundowns.

The promising South African talent suffered a fractured arm during the encounter and is scheduled to undergo surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for around five to six weeks, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Speaking after the match, Ben Youssef wished the youngster a swift recovery while also highlighting the importance of his return to full fitness.

“I hope Shabalala can be back as soon as possible,” he told The Citizen. “He has a fracture in his hand. I hope he can be back soon because he is fighting to be part of Bafana Bafana and part of the World Cup.”

The Chiefs coach also used the moment to call for better protection of players, pointing to the physical nature of the challenge that led to the injury.

“We have to protect our young players. You can’t expect a challenge like this to be just a yellow card. We lost Shabalala and came close to losing Gaston Sirino,” he said. “We have to protect players from these kinds of challenges.”

Beyond the incident, Ben Youssef stressed the importance of Kaizer Chiefs contributing more players to the national team setup, saying it would strengthen both the club and country.

“From our side, it is most important to have at least three or four players with Bafana,” he added. “When we have three or four players on the Bafana list, you know we will be ready to compete for the league. Some of our players deserve to get a chance now.”