Amakhosi coach hits back at critics - 'Change the keeper! Change Maart! You feel like the problem of Kaizer Chiefs is Yusuf Maart and the goalkeeper'

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has defended Yusuf Maart over criticism that he has always been subjected to.

The tactician said if Maart was thin-skinned, he would have considered leaving football because of what he described as subjective criticism.

"I just want to take two minutes to say something about our captain, Yusuf Maart," Youssef told Radio 2000's Game On.

"If it were another player, he would have stopped playing football because the criticism they have made of him here makes no sense.

"I have some friends who are coaches, so they watch the game and ask if it's true what is said about the captain. I send his physical performance, and I try to ask them, because for me, maybe because I'm close to him, I don't see these mistakes," he continued.

"In each game we play, we hear only two things. Change the keeper! Change Maart! You feel like the problem of Kaizer Chiefs is Yusuf Maart and the goalkeeper, and the only two things you hear."

Youssef also touched on the criticism that the Chiefs' skipper endured after missing a penalty during their match against Golden Arrows. The 29-year-old scored, but Chiefs lost the game 2-1 on March 29.

"I'm not that emotional on the bench. When we score, sometimes I go just to thank them for that. But there were two moments when I started to run. I remember one when we played Golden Arrows," the tactician continued.

"Maart was unlucky with a penalty early in the game, and then he scored right after five minutes. Because I had felt what people said about him, all of us on the bench went to celebrate with him. Then the second occasion was the second goal in this final."

The captain is one of the most criticised players in the Amakhosi ranks, and he always finds himself on the receiving end as the club struggles in the Premier Soccer League.

Ironically, it is Maart who has led the Glamour Boys to their first trophy in 10 years. He played a crucial role as Chiefs defeated Orlando Pirates to lift the Nedbank Cup in Durban.

His winning goal late in the second half crashed the Sea Robbers and ensured the competition gets a new champion: beleaguered Amakhosi.

Meanwhile, apart from Maart, Bruce Bvuma is another player who has been heavily criticized, especially for the goalkeeping errors he has committed.

His performance in the Nedbank Cup is expected to cushion him from criticism at the moment. But if Chiefs fail to finish in the top eight, his leadership at the club will be questioned again.

Amakhosi have two games to end the league campaign: a match against Sekhukhune United on May 17 before a showdown against Polokwane City on May 24.

These are must-win games for the Nasreddine Nabi-led side, given that they are fighting for points that will boost their top-eight chances.