The Tunisian tactician attributed Sunday’s result largely to a lack of experience, with Chiefs featuring in the group phase of the competition for the first time in their history.

Read: Kaizer Chiefs get squad boost ahead of Zamalek clash

Al Masry, whose best run in the Confederation Cup came with a semifinal finish in 2018, capitalised on two decisive errors from the visitors.

Chiefs goalkeeper and captain Brandon Petersen conceded a penalty in the 59th minute, allowing the hosts to break the deadlock.

However, the setback briefly galvanised the South Africans, and winger Dillan Solomons struck a well-taken equaliser seven minutes later.

The contest appeared destined for a draw until defender Inacio Miguel misjudged a clearance in the 87th minute, inadvertently presenting Al Masry with the chance to grab the winner.

Ben Youssef acknowledged the frustration of the late setback but maintained that the overall performance showed promise despite the costly mistakes.

“I think more than 80% of our players were playing this type of competition for the first time; it [the Confederation Cup] is different from the PSL. It’s a competition where you need to be more focused and be more aggressive,” said Ben Youssef.

“We were expecting this game to be tough for both teams. I am happy about the performance of our players – I think we did very well.

“The only problem was experience. In this type of tournament, if you want to win, you can’t make the type of mistakes we made.”

With the defeat behind them, attention now shifts to Saturday’s clash against fellow Egyptian giants Zamalek at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Zamalek, two-time winners of the Confederation Cup, represent another stern challenge for Chiefs as they look to secure their first points of the group stage.