Young Africans maul Kaizer Chiefs to lift Toyota Cup

Kaizer Chiefs’ new head coach Nasreddine Nabi got a clear idea of the task at hand in turning Amakhosi’s fortunes around on Sunday, as they were hammered 4-0 by Tanzania’s Young Africans in the Toyota Cup at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Pre-seasons can be deceptive and one should not descend into too much melodrama over Chiefs’ loss here, in front of a sold out crowd that will have mostly left the stadium disappointed.

This was Amakhosi’s first game in South Africa under their new Tunisian mentor, against an established opponent that has already been under the same coach – former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor Miguel Angel Gamondi – for a season now.

Under Gamondi, who actually took over from two-time Tanzanian Premier League title winner Nabi, Young Africans won their domestic title by 11 points, and reached the 2023/24 Caf Champions League quarterfinals, where they were a little unlucky to lose to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Chiefs are coming off a season where they had their worst ever PSL-era finish in the newly-named Betway Premiership (they came 10th), and have not won a single trophy in a staggering nine successive campaigns.

As such, it is hardly surprising that the classier, more clinical outfit was dressed in Young Africans green, while Chiefs were poor whether they played in their home strip in the first half or their away jersey in the second.

Young Africans mastermind Aziz Ki gave further evidence of why Gamondi was so happy to have kept him at the club with a brace, while Zimbabwean striker Prince Dube netted the opener and Clement Mzize was also on the scoresheet as the Tanzanian side clinically dismantled their hosts.

Nabi did put plenty of faith in Chiefs’ younger players, with Mfundo Vilakazi and Samkelo Zwane both starting against Young Africans, as did 19 year-old Nkosana Mbuthu, the son of former Chiefs midfielder Patrick Mbuthu.

Mbuthu mistake

The gamble on youth didn’t really pay off, however, with Mbuthu’s error leading to Ki putting Gamondi’s side 2-0 up on the stroke of half time.

Before that, Dube had capitalised on a lucky bounce to slot Young Africans in front in the 25th minute, while Mzize and Ki produced clinical finishes in the second half to produce an embarrassing scoreline for Chiefs, that could have been worse as Zambian Clatous Chama’s free kick clattered off the crossbar.

The bonus for Nabi is that with Chiefs not playing in the MTN8, Amakhosi’s first official game looks like it will only come in mid-September. Chiefs’ new coach and his team need all the time they can get.