Ben Youssef reveals illness scare hit Kaizer Chiefs before CAF draw in Lubumbashi

Chiefs managed to hold their opponents in the first leg of their final qualifying round, setting up a decisive return fixture at Dobsonville Stadium this coming Saturday.

“Five players had diarrhoea the day before the match. It was a critical situation, and we were unsure if they would play. Credit to them — they weren’t fully fit but fought for the badge,” the Amakhosi co-coach told the team’s media.

The Tunisian tactician also expressed frustration with the pitch conditions at the TP Mazembe Stadium, saying the surface forced them to abandon their usual passing game.

“With the state of the pitch and the heat, it was impossible to play our normal football,” he explained.

“We prepared to play more direct, just like Simba. The plan was to stay compact in the first half, then use our speed in the second.”

Chiefs came close through Khanyisa Mayo, whose shot hit the crossbar, and late in the game when Mfundo Vilakazi and Mduduzi Shabalala combined to create a chance for Ashley du Preez, who was denied.

Ben Youssef added that both Shabalala and Vilakazi started on the bench due to their recent international commitments.

“Vilakazi had just returned from the U-20 World Cup, while Shabalala was with Bafana Bafana. They weren’t fully ready to start,” he said.

Before the decisive second leg, Chiefs host Siwelele FC in a Betway Premiership tie at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.