Chiefs coach hails ‘intelligent’ Flavio Silva as striker silences critics

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has jumped to the defence of Flavio Silva, lauding the striker’s “intelligence” following a resurgence that has seen him silence his early-season critics.

The 30-year-old forward was instrumental on Wednesday night, finding the back of the net as Amakhosi cruised to a dominant 4-1 victory over Magesi FC in a Betway Premiership encounter at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Rising to the occasion – Silva of Chiefs

After a slow start to the campaign that drew heavy scrutiny, Silva has hit a purple patch at the perfect time for the Soweto giants. The strike against Magesi marks back-to-back goals for the forward, taking his season tally to eight goals and one assist across all competitions.

For Ben Youssef, Silva’s recent form is not a surprise but rather a reflection of the predatory instincts the technical team has seen all along.

“Silva showed from the start of the season that he’s the kind of striker that in any situation in the box he can score,” Ben Youssef said following the win over Dikwena Tsa Meetse.

“He’s so smart, he’s so intelligent in the box, and he’s helping the team.”

The victory was Chiefs’ fifth league win of the season, and it kept their ambitions for a top-three finish firmly on track. Ben Youssef highlighted that Silva’s contribution goes beyond just being in the right place, pointing to the quality of his finishing.

“Now he’s at seven [league] goals, and you see even today the goal, that it’s a technical individual [goal] that he scored,” the coach added.

“He helped us because we didn’t start the game very well. He helped us and he made it more easy for us in the game.”

With Silva finding his rhythm, Amakhosi will be looking to the Portuguese attacker to lead the line decisively as the race for continental football spots heats up.