Cedric Kaze Reflects on Kaizer Chiefs' Season and Teases Amakhosi's Future With Khalil Ben Youssef

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has offered a clear assessment of the club’s 2025/26 season as he and technical partner Khalil Ben Youssef bring their campaign to a close.

The Burundian tactician, alongside Ben Youssef, was appointed in September 2025 to take charge of the Amakhosi following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi. Since then, the Soweto giants have endured an inconsistent run of form, with performances swinging between strong and disappointing spells—creating a strained relationship at times between the coaching pair and sections of the fanbase.

Nabi had earlier led Chiefs to the Nedbank Cup title, ending a decade-long wait for silverware and securing qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup. Under Kaze and Ben Youssef, the club reached the group stage of the continental competition but failed to progress further. During a difficult stretch, pressure mounted on the duo, with some supporters openly calling for their removal.

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However, the coaches steadied the team and guided them to a significant league achievement, securing a third-place finish in the Betway Premiership with two matches still remaining. It marked Chiefs’ best league finish in several years, and their strongest showing since the 2019/20 campaign when they finished second behind Mamelodi Sundowns.

That top-three finish also guarantees a return to continental football next season. Still, Kaze admitted the campaign fell short of their ambitions, especially with their current mandate nearing its conclusion. Uncertainty now surrounds the future of the coaching duo, as the club continues to be linked with a move to appoint a permanent head coach and potentially abandon the joint-leadership structure. Nonetheless, the strong league finish may influence the club’s hierarchy to reconsider.

“It could have gone better” – Kaze reflects on Chiefs’ season

Reflecting on the campaign, Kaze noted the competitiveness of the league and suggested Chiefs were in the title conversation for a large part of the season before dropping off around mid-season.

He admitted that while progress has been made compared to the previous year, there were missed opportunities that prevented the team from staying closer to the league’s frontrunners. According to him, the squad is capable of more and still has room for growth.

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Overall, he described the season as a solid one in context, but reiterated that higher targets were within reach. He added that the experience has provided valuable lessons and laid a platform for future improvement.

Playing for pride in final fixture

Chiefs will conclude their season in Durban next Saturday against Chippa United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. With their third-place finish already secured, the match will largely be about pride and finishing the campaign on a positive note.

Kaze praised the support the team has received in Durban throughout the season, noting that both league and continental matches played there have enjoyed strong fan backing, which has lifted the squad.

He expressed gratitude to the supporters for their continued encouragement and urged them to turn out in numbers for the final home fixture of the season, emphasizing the importance of finishing strongly for the fans who have stood by the team.

Source: Briefly News