Motaung Jr highlights value of new Chiefs technical team

Kaizer Chiefs’ sporting director, Kaizer Motaung Jr, has expressed strong confidence in the new technical team, consisting of Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, emphasising their invaluable experience in the CAF Confederation Cup as Chiefs navigate the continental campaign this season.

The duo stepped up to lead the squad following the mutual departure of Nasreddine Nabi. Crucially, they were integral parts of Nabi’s technical staff at Young Africans (Yanga), where they guided the Tanzanian side to the Confederation Cup Final before eventually losing to USM Alger.

“Very much so, we will lean on their experience,” Motaung Jr stated regarding the current leadership. “They have gone all the way to the final, travelled and got the battle scars from the continent. In this tournament, experience is important, on and off the pitch. We’re privileged to have them, they have walked the journey, just excited to see how they navigate this one.”

Strategic Squad Building: Attack and Defence At Kaizer Chiefs

Motaung Jr detailed the club’s strategic investment, designed specifically to balance domestic and continental duties, highlighting both attacking firepower and defensive solidity.

The Sporting Director expressed his delight with the rapid impact of new attacking signings Khanyisa Mayo, Flavio da Silva, and Etiosa Ighodaro, all of whom registered goals early in their Chiefs careers.

“Part of the reason we have the size of the squad we have is for tournaments like this, balancing the domestic and continental duties,” he explained. “If you look at last season we were saying we’re not scoring enough goals, there was a concerted effort to invest in our attacking department.”

Foundation Built on Clean Sheets

While acknowledging that the attacking department still needs time to refine chance conversion, Motaung Jr pointed to the significant defensive improvement as the foundational success of the new era.

Led by captain Brandon Petersen, the Chiefs backline has been exceptional, recording nine clean sheets across all competitions this season—a stark improvement from the previous campaign.

“A very big plus is the back door has been shut. We build with a foundation [of defence],” Motaung Jr affirmed. “We’re pleased to know that essentially, the back line is players who were here last year, apart from our wing-backs, which bodes very well. It’s game by game, step by step and we will take as it comes.”