Chiefs assistant explains bond with Nasreddine Nabi

Khalil Ben Youssef and Nasreddine Nabi. Photo credit: SABC Sport

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has shed light on his relationship with head coach Nasreddine Nabi, describing their bond and working dynamic within the club.

Ben Youssef highlighted his established working relationship with the head coach, noting their prior collaborations at Young Africans (Tanzania) and AS FAR (Morocco).

“To be honest with you, with coach Nabi now, it’s our third season working together. We are a family, not a coach and assistant coach,” declared Ben Youssef on Radio 2000.

“He gives us a lot of responsibilities to do in the team, with the training and the game. There is a lot of confidence between us. He trusts us and he believes in us. He knows what we do for the team. So the relationship in the technical bench is like family because we know each other. It’s not the first season that we have worked together."

Ben Youssef also addressed the exit speculation that has linked him and the technical team with a departure.

This comes shortly after head coach Nabi led the team to a Nedbank Cup victory against Orlando Pirates, ending a nine-year trophy drought for the Naturena-based club.

However, despite this success, the Sunday Times reported that Nabi's future at Chiefs remains uncertain.

“To be honest with you, our contracts are two years and with a one-year extension,” he added. “Like you, we saw [the reports] on social media. To be honest with you, yesterday, I received a lot of calls asking about that.

“I don’t know where it’s coming from. But I think the only one who can answer this question is Mr Kaizer [Motaung], the chairman.”