Kaizer Chiefs coach Khalil Ben Youssef admits his side found goalscoring a problem on Simba’s artificial pitch in their CAF Confederation Cup clash.
Amakhosi were held to a goalless draw at Stade TP Mazembe, where chances were few and far between for the Betway Premiership side.
Khanyisa Mayo came as close as anyone to finding the target when he hit the woodwork, while Mfundo Vilakazi’s second-half free-kick was superbly saved by the Simba stopper.
Reflecting on the encounter, Ben Youssef explained that Amakhosi were forced to alter their playing style on the unfamiliar surface but probably should have done better in front of the poles.
He said on iDiski Times: “You see the situation of the game, the pitch and the competitor.
“We prepare our players before about the situation. They know it will be a tough game.
“Really, in this kind of pitch, you can’t play. So for that, we was only playing long ball like them, because it’s difficult to manage with this kind of pitch.”
Ben Youssef, though, added that he was pleased with the way Chiefs coped with such a strong opposition.
“I think the plan of the game. It was how we can manage the first 45 minutes, first we don’t concede, then we know that the opponent team, they will take a lot of risk,” he explained. “They will try to press higher. They will leave us a lot of space. Then we will introduce our [Mduduzi] Shabalala, Ashley [Du Preez] and [Wandile] Duba to give us the speed and the solution in the deep.
“And I think the first half, we got two opportunities to score. We was unlucky. One of them crossbar of [Khanyisa] Mayo, and the second in the 88th minute, I think a good combination between Shabalala, [Mfundo] Vilakazi and then Shabalala give for Ashley. He was unlucky. Even it was an empty goal, he was unlucky. The ball was out. But the plan of the game, I think we succeeded in the plan of the game, how we managed the first 45 minutes, and we know that in the second half we will find a lot of space.”
Looking ahead to the second leg at home, the interim co-head coach added: “Now it’s finished, the first leg, first game, we still have another game. Also, I think it will be tough for us. It will be difficult, the Simba team is a good team. They show us a lot of quality today. It’s a physical team, is not tactical or technical team. A lot of physique.”