Kaizer Chiefs coach Khalil Ben Youssef has stated that his side’s biggest weakness is their final pass and finishing in the final third.
AmaKhosi have netted seven times in their seven Betway Premiership games to start the season, and only scored more than one goal in their opening league fixture against Stellenbosch, winning 2-0.
In addition, the club scored only one goal in its two-legged CAF Confederations Cup tie against Kubascorp.
“The only problem we have until now is the last third. We create a lot of opportunities every game, but we are in a situation where we don’t score a lot of goals,” Ben Youssef said, speaking ahead of AmaKhosi’s Betway Premiership game against AmaZulu on Wednesday.
The coach cited opportunities in previous fixtures to put the game to bed which were not taken.
“You know, the last game against Marumo [Gallants], when you scored the first goal, and you get then three opportunities to score the second goal to finish the game, you don’t score, you’ll be always in a difficult situation, you can’t concede any moment. And it happened [again], if you remember, also against Polokwane City. [The technical staff] were a little bit frustrated when the players started to joke when we finished the game. And we were angry [at] them, because this kind of game you have to finish.”
Ben Youssef emphasised the importance of actively working on his side’s attacking animation.
“We focus [on] everything, but we are more thinking about the last third. The decision, the
technical decision for the player, last pass, how he can shoot when he makes a pass. I think we have to work a lot on [these things].”
This sentiment was echoed by Dillan Solomons, who earned Chiefs fans’ vote for Player of the Match against Kubascorp at the weekend.
“I feel like we, as a team, are progressing the ball really well, but the final third is where we are lacking the final pass. I think it’s evident for everyone to see that our final pass has been a problem, but I think we are working on those things. It’s a process for us,” said Solomons.
Despite their struggles, Solomons believes that things will click offensively for Chiefs soon.
“Obviously, we know how to progress the ball forward, we know how to get there in that space […] and we know our movements, we know how to move. I think you can see it, it’s evident there, but it’s just the final pass and the finishing. But I feel like we are getting in that space where we can feel that it will happen for us and we will start scoring more goals than we are already scoring.”
The Phefeni Glamour Boys have a busy week ahead as they tackle AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday before heading to the Western Cape to face Stellenbosch in the first round of the Carling Knockout at the Danie Craven Stadium on Sunday.
