Ben Youssef points to Mayo, Lilepo as Chiefs drop points

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has singled out two pivotal moments—a costly error by forward Khanyisa Mayo and a missed penalty by Glody Lilepo—as key factors in Wednesday’s disappointing 1-1 Betway Premiership draw against AmaZulu FC at FNB Stadium.

AmaZulu took the lead in the 21st minute through Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya, before Mduduzi Shabalala scored the equaliser for the hosts 11 minutes later. The dramatic first half saw Lilepo squander a chance to put Amakhosi ahead when AmaZulu goalkeeper Darren Johnson saved his penalty kick.

However, Chiefs’ missed opportunities didn’t end there. Just before the half-time whistle, Mayo inadvertently got involved in Pule Mmodi’s goal-bound shot, leading referee Thando Ndzandzeka to adjudge him offside, wiping a potential goal off the board. Ben Youssef reflected on an evening where he felt Chiefs deserved better, praising his team’s effort despite the poor result.

What Chiefs’ Ben Youssef Said About the Mayo Incident

Addressing the lack of clinical finishing, Ben Youssef told the media: “In the first 30 minutes of the first half, we created a minimum of four chances to score. Then we conceded a goal due to missed focus, where we didn’t concentrate.”

He continued by detailing the second costly chance, stating: “We continued to fight, we scored with [Mduduzi] Shabalala then we got another opportunity, we score. It was a goal, [but] Mayo touched the ball to be offside.”

Despite the errors, Ben Youssef was satisfied with the overall performance. “I am so happy with the performance of the players,” he said. “I think after a lot of games, every three days with the same squad… everyone saw how many chances we created. The Man-of-the-Match was the AmaZulu ‘keeper.”

Chiefs Coach Defending the Penalty Misses

The penalty miss by Lilepo marks the second successive PSL match where Chiefs failed from the spot, following Gaston Sirino’s saved kick last week. However, Ben Youssef jumped to the defence of his players.

“As I said for the players always, football is playing in small details. It’s very tough for the players mentally when you have a penalty and miss a penalty,” he noted.

He defended Lilepo and Sirino by referencing their past success. “Lilepo last season scored three penalties, Sirino last season in the final of Nedbank Cup he scored a penalty. You know, penalties are a 50 percent chance also and you have to say congratulations to the keeper also, he saved the penalty, we have to continue to work.”

Looking ahead, the assistant coach is focused on improving the attack: “We are struggling in the last third. Sometimes we have been unlucky and sometimes we miss chances. We have to work and keep going to find a solution. The next game is Stellenbosch [in the last 16 of the Carling Knockout]. Then we have two weeks [the international break] to fix everything.”