Ben Youssef: Kaizer Chiefs aiming for CAF Confederation Cup history with youthful squad
CAF Confederation Cup
Pule Mmodi of Kaizer Chiefs celebrates at the final whistle after his decisive goal secured a 1-0 victory over ZESCO United in their CAF Confederation Cup Group D clash at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, on Sunday, 25 January 2026. The win marks Amakhosi’s first maximum points of the group stage, breathing new life into their continental campaign. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Kaizer Chiefs are hellbent on going all the way in the CAF Confederation Cup, but they know they must take it one game at a time while ensuring their youthful squad gains invaluable experience.
Chiefs continued with their continental group stage campaign on Sunday afternoon in Ndola, defeating hosts Zesco United 1-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, courtesy of a goal by Pule Mmodi.
This was their first win in Group D after losing their opener 2-1 to Al Masry in Egypt and then hosting Zamalek to a 1-1 draw in Polokwane before the AFCON break.
While the victory over the group’s whipping boys gave them only four points with three more games to play – including the return leg against the Zambians at Moses Mabhida Stadium this Sunday – belief in the team’s chances of reaching the next round has grown significantly.
Qualifying for the knockout stage is crucial for Chiefs given that the last time they reached that stage of continental football was in 2021 when they were CAF Champions League losing finalists to Al Ahly.
Ben Youssef knows they must crawl before they can walk, meaning they must take it game by game. However, he insists they still aim to make history with their relatively young squad and win the competition for the first time since it was called the Mandela Cup in 2001.
“From the beginning, we said that our team, Kaizer Chiefs, has been out of continental competitions for more than five years, while 80% of our players are competing in this competition for the first time. So the most important thing is for them to gain experience and hopefully win,” Ben Youssef said.
“To be in the group stage was the first step; now we are treating every game as a cup game. We are trying to manage each match carefully. We hope that when we finish these games, we’ll qualify for the next round. But we are taking it step by step.”
Before Chiefs face Zesco in the return leg, they will play Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. This clash could also boost their contention for the league title this season as they are third on the log with 27 points, two behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.