Khalil Ben Youssef hails Kaizer Chiefs return to Caf Confederation Cup after sealing third place

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has praised his side’s resurgence after they secured qualification for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup, describing it as the minimum expectation for a club of their stature.

Amakhosi confirmed a third-place finish in the Betway Premiership with two matches to spare following a composed 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.

Late strikes from Tashreeq Morris and Mfundo Vilakazi sealed the result, underlining a campaign built on improved structure and late-game efficiency.

Speaking after the match, Ben Youssef reiterated that a return to continental football had always been the club’s baseline ambition.

“I think a lot of times we said the minimum we can do this season is to be in the top three so we can play again in Caf,” he said.

“For a team that is one of the biggest in South Africa and Africa, this is the minimum we can do. At least for now, we have qualified for Caf next season.”

The Tunisian tactician reserved special praise for the collective effort behind the team’s progress, extending his congratulations beyond the playing squad.

“Congratulations to the fans, the board, the technical team and the players. It’s not only our work but a lot of people behind the scenes,” he added, highlighting goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and a disciplined defensive unit as key pillars of the campaign.

Chiefs’ return to the top three marks a significant leap from last season’s disappointing ninth-place finish, where they accumulated just 32 points.

The current campaign has also seen them surpass the 50-point mark for the first time since the 2019-20 season, when they narrowly missed out on the title to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Despite already achieving their primary objective, Ben Youssef insists there will be no let-up in the final stretch. With fixtures against AmaZulu FC and Chippa United still to come, the focus has shifted to finishing the season strongly and maximising their points tally.

“We have to continue to fight. We still have six points remaining in the league, and we need to win these two games,” he said.

“We have to reach the maximum of points this season.”