Cedric Kaze Hits Back at Former Kaizer Chiefs Coach As He Hints at Leaving the Club

• Cedric Kaze has opened up on Kaizer Chiefs' performance this season despite criticism from Amakhosi supporters
• The Burudian tactician and his fellow co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef have been under pressure due to poor performances
• Kaze also fired back at a former Kaizer Chiefs head coach who recently talked about what it means to coach Amakhosi

Cedric Kaze, the co-coach of Kaizer Chiefs, has stood by his performance at the club, insisting that the team is progressing positively under his leadership alongside co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef.

Both Kaze and Ben Youssef faced criticism when they were promoted from assistant roles under Nasreddine Nabi to take charge of the team until the end of the season in September last year. Critics questioned whether the duo had the necessary experience to guide a club of Chiefs’ stature.

Chiefs began 2026 on a promising note, remaining competitive in the Premier Soccer League title race and still involved in the CAF Confederation Cup, while also awaiting their participation in the Nedbank Cup.

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However, by early March the situation had changed dramatically. Chiefs had been eliminated from all cup competitions, leaving a top-three league finish as their most realistic objective for the season.

Kaze confident about Chiefs’ progress

Despite the setbacks, Kaze believes the team has already shown significant improvement compared to last season. He argues that securing a top-three finish would represent a major achievement and something not accomplished by any Chiefs coach in the past decade.

“Right now we are sitting in sixth place, and the team in third position, Sekhukhune United, is only three points ahead of us, and we still have two matches in hand,” Kaze said while speaking to reporters on Thursday.

“I’m not saying we will definitely win those games, but we will give everything. If this team ends the season in the top three, I could walk away knowing we achieved something that hasn’t been done here in the last 10 years,” he said.

Kaze takes swipe at Middendorp’s Chiefs

When reminded that Chiefs finished second during the 2019-20 season under Ernst Middendorp, Kaze appeared unimpressed with that campaign and questioned the style of play used by the team at the time.

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“Yes, someone finished second a few years ago,” Kaze remarked. “But they scored about 22 goals from set pieces and relied heavily on long balls. If we finish in the top three playing our way, I would say we’ve done an outstanding job.”

Chiefs’ runners-up finish in the 2019-20 campaign remains their best league result since winning the Premier Soccer League title in the 2014-15 season. Their next best finish since then was third place in the 2017-18 campaign under Patrick Mabedi.

Last season, the Glamour Boys struggled and ended in ninth place with 32 points while Nabi was still in charge. This term, however, the team has collected 30 points from 18 matches and still has 12 games remaining to try and push for a top-three finish, although the title appears out of reach with Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns already 17 points clear at the top.

Source: Briefly News