Middendorp tells Kaizer Chiefs what to do with co-coaches Kaze and Ben Youssef

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp has voiced his support for the club’s current co-coaches, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, urging the Soweto giants to stick with the pair.

Despite facing criticism from some supporters over a perceived lack of a distinct playing style, Youssef and Kaze have guided Chiefs to an impressive run of five consecutive victories. This recent success has stabilised the team and established a consistent winning record.

However, the club’s management continues to demand high standards, with a spot in the CAF Champions League reportedly the minimum expectation for the coaching duo.

Middendorp, who led Amakhosi to a second-place league finish in the 2019/20 season, believes it would be illogical for the club to part ways with Youssef and Kaze given their current form.

Middendorp backs Kaze and Ben Youssef 

“They have a good run at the moment, so it makes no sense to make big noise,” the German coach told KickOff. “The players have to be strong mentally. It depends on the mentality of the player, how strong is he.”

“It’s the same with the coaches,” he continued. “Aside from being knowledgeable, as a coach you must be stubborn, you must have a very clear structure. At the moment, obviously, the success is near, and they should keep going. There is no reason for the club to even consider who should come in and take over.”

Middendorp emphasised the recent progress as a key factor in his assessment.

“They have won five games in a row. Obviously, they are not coming close to second position; they are in third position, but there’s been progress and good development in the last couple of weeks,” he noted. “Make a decision, go on with these coaches, and see where they need support with additional expertise. I hope they make a right decision.”

Why ex-Chiefs boss want coaching duo retained 

He concluded that the statistics speak for themselves. “At the moment, with the statistics, they have to go with the two coaches. The co-coaching can work; it worked in the last couple of weeks, and there’s been progress.”

The former coach also commented on the improvement within the squad, highlighting the positive influence of the current technical team.

“A couple of players have gotten a little bit better. Like Khanyisa Mayo, who was out for weeks, and now all of a sudden, he comes back rejuvenated,” Middendorp observed. “And the other young players, you can see they’ve been getting support from senior and experienced players like Lebohang Maboe.”

He advised the club to provide clarity on the coaching situation to allow for effective planning for the upcoming season. “The club needs to make a decision so that the coaches start looking at who they will need to bring in next season to strengthen the team. I wouldn’t advise the club to make changes left and right in the coaching department at the moment.”