Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has refuted claims that he and Cedric Kaze backstabbed ex-Amakhosi head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
Ben Youssef and Kaze were brought in by Nabi as his assistants upon joining Chiefs in 2024. After leading Amakhosi to their first trophy in a decade, he was kept for the 2025/26 season.
Unfortunately, the Tunisian coach did not start the season on the bench as he was forced to attend to his wife, who was involved in a car accident.
In the three matches Nabi missed, Amakhosi won all of them under the guidance of Ben Youssef and Kaze.
Upon arrival, the Tunisian tactician only picked up four points from three matches and was ultimately suspended before parting ways with the team.
After Nabi’s departure, some fans speculated that his assistants may have pressured the Chiefs management to get him fired. Ben Youssef has since refuted the claims.
“Nabi arrived with me and Fernando [da Cruz]. Majdi [Safi] and Ilyes [Mzoughi]. Fernando da Cruz then decided to go back to Morocco to join the FRMF. He went back in August, and we spent two months without a second assistant coach. Then in October, Cedric joined us. But the question? You gave the answer,” Ben Youssef told iDiski Times.
Nabi left Kaizer Chiefs a month after losing to Sekhukhune
Ben Youssef indicated that Nabi was not fired by Chiefs but chose to resign.
“The decision was coming from coach Nabi, to resign. And it was a discussion, the only three people who know the reality of what’s going on are Mr Kaizer Jr, Coach Nabi and Cedric. They were together in every meeting, in that moment. Just to go back, it was the accident of the wife of coach Nabi.
“Then he travelled back for a month, we took charge for three games, then people tried to push and saying we’re doing the job, not coach Nabi. You were there in those press conferences, and we always said the honest and direct thing that we’re together, the game plan is coming from coach Nabi, and we’re working as a team, it’s the whole technical staff.
“Then he came back, and after one month, it was two weeks, then a decision coming from him to resign, he told them he wanted to leave the team. So, there’s the answer. How do you want to resign and then be accused that Khalil and Cedric did this or that? the ex-Chiefs coach asked.
Ben Youssef maintains he has had a solid relationship with Nabi, even before the Tunisian coach joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2024.
“I was with him (Nabi) for three seasons at Young Africans, ASFAR Rabat, and at Chiefs – so if I was bad as people said, why would he bring me along all the time? Anyway, it was a moment of this season. But there’s people at the Village who can confirm what happened. I prefer not to speak much about this subject, from my side,” he said.
Nabi’s farewell message did not include Kaze and Ben Youssuf, which fuelled further allegations.