Kaizer Chiefs Open Talks With Former Coach As Possible Replacements for Cedric Kaze, Ben Youssef
- Kaizer Chiefs are said to be considering bringing back their former managers as potential replacements for Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef
- The Glamour Boys have reportedly started talks with their former boss, and could be back before the end of the ongoing 2025-26 campaign
- The talks between Kaizer Chiefs and the tactician have gone smoothly, with the coach agreeing to come back, but there's still one issue between both parties
Kaizer Chiefs have reportedly opened talks with one of their former coaches over a possible return to Naturena as successor to Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who are both under pressure.
Source: Twitter
The Amakhosi co-coaches started their reign as the club managers after they were named as replacements for Nasreddine Nabi after the Tunisian mentor was sacked earlier this season.
Even in the beginning of the second half of the season in 2026, they kick-started the year with consecutive wins in all competitions, but things got worse in the second month of the year as they lost five out of their last six games, with three consecutive defeats coming in the Betway Premiership.
The pressure on Kaze and Ben Youssef got bigger after losing against Orlando Pirates in the first Soweto Derby of the season at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, February 28, 2026. They followed it with another defeat against Richards Bay at the uMhlathuze Sports Stadium on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
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Chiefs open talks with former coach
According to the latest report, Kaizer Chiefs are considering bringing back one of the former coaches in the person of Fernando da Cruz as their next permanent manager.
The French tactician joined the Glamour Boys as an assistant to Nabi when the Tunisian coach was appointed the club's manager ahead of the 2024-25 season.
He started working as Kaizer Chiefs' coach during the pre-season, with Nabi still at AS FAR Rabat in Morocco, while trying to complete his contract with them.
Despite starting the pre-season with the Soweto giants in the absence of Nabi, the Frenchman left his role as an assistant to the Tunisian coach at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign after accepting a new role with the Moroccan Football Federation. He has since left the role and returned to France, waiting for new opportunities.
It is reported that Da Cruz is open to returning to the Naturena, but there's a little disagreement between both parties concerning his return to the Soweto-based club.
Source: Twitter
Reported issues between Chiefs and da Cruz
Reports emerging from Naturena indicate that the club has initiated discussions with Da Cruz over a potential return to the Kaizer Chiefs setup, but he claimed he would only accept a comeback if he is allowed to bring in his own technical staff.
“Club management would prefer Da Cruz to work alongside the current technical staff, but the French coach has insisted on bringing his own team. That disagreement is currently the main obstacle; otherwise, the appointment might already have been confirmed,” a source reportedly explained.
Da Cruz is presently regarded as the leading contender for the position, while the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Benni McCarthy have also been linked with the coaching role.
Kaze and Ben Youssef still have a little bit of grace to save their jobs as Kaizer Chiefs would be taking on Durban City in their next Betway Premiership game on Sunday, March 15, 2026, and a win for Amakhosi could reduce the pressure on the managers.
Motaung Jr speaks on McCarthy, Mosimane's links
Briefly News earlier reported that sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr opened up on the rumours linking Benni McCarthy and Pitso Mosimane to Kaizer Chiefs.
The two South African tacticians are part of the few coaches who have been tipped to take over the coaching role at Naturena.
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Source: Briefly News
