Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef on the Soweto derby: ‘It is only three points’

Ben Youssef may be reducing the pressure on his team by downplaying the importance of the match, yet for supporters of Chiefs, or indeed Pirates, it remains the highlight of the season.

“It’s only three points,” Ben Youssef said. “If we beat Orlando Pirates, will they give us the title or six points? It won’t change anything major.”

This statement holds true in a technical sense, although it might not sit well with AmaKhosi followers.

“For us, it’s just a league game. Yes, it’s the derby, there will be one team in Soweto, us or them. But it’s still a league game. Our target has been clear from the first day of the season: we will take each game as it comes.

“We don’t have to change our targets by winning one game and start discussing winning the league. Or lose one game and start destroying everything.”

Chiefs have enjoyed a strong streak recently, aiming for six consecutive victories until the recent midweek goalless draw against Polokwane City.

The team seeks to resume winning to solidify their third position in the standings and qualify for CAF Confederation Cup action next term. They lead fourth-placed AmaZulu by seven points, with an extra match to play.

A victory against table-topping Pirates would narrow the difference to nine points, still with that game in hand. Nevertheless, closing a six-point gap over the final four fixtures seems challenging.

“The team has performed very well in the last six games, with five wins and one draw. On the day of the derby, the team that makes the fewest mistakes and is hungrier will win the game,” Ben Youssef said, adding that their 3-0 defeat to Pirates back in February should not carry too much weight.

“At that moment we were a bit unlucky, we had a lot of injuries. It is difficult as a coach when you have a lot of injuries. You have to make a lot of changes and you don’t have the consistency.

“In the last five or six games we have had the same squad and the same team. When the consistency is there, the performances are there and the results are there.

“We were also unlucky in the first round of the league in that we missed out on a lot of points. We put in good performances but we were unlucky and didn’t score.”

Ben Youssef provided some reassurance to the AmaKhosi faithful.

“We don’t have fans, we have family,” he said. “This is a moment to give them back some joy and hope. We hope they enjoy the game, the performance and the result.

“The most important thing is to give back to the fans, make them proud and continue to fight to finish in the best position we can this season.”