Khalil Ben Youssef reveals five Kaizer Chiefs players 'were in critical situation and woke up with diarrhoea and vomiting' before CAF Confederation Cup showdown against Simba

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has revealed a number of players were in a critical condition before their CAF Confederation Cup game against Simba on Saturday.

Amakhosi faced the DR Congo side and managed a 0-0 draw in Lubumbashi, and now, Youssef said some players, including Glody Lilepo, were not in good condition before the game.

“Five of them were in a critical situation, and we were not sure if they could play, but I have to say congratulations to them. Even though they were not 100% ready, they fought for the team and took a risk with us," Youssef revealed.

“Another one is Lilepo; he got a small injury on his ankle, but he decided to play and fight for the team, and in the 65th minute, we saw that he couldn’t continue. We brought in Ashley because we know he can bring a lot of quality to the team with his speed. He got the opportunity to score, but he was unlucky," he added.

“I have to say congratulations to our players; they woke up with diarrhoea and vomiting before the match. I don’t know what happened with the food."

Apart from the critical condition the Chiefs players faced, Youssef has also revealed that another major setback they encountered was the state of the pitch.

“You see the situation of the game, the pitch, and the competitor. We prepare our players beforehand about the situation, and they know it will be a tough game,” Youssef explained.

“Really, in this kind of pitch, you can’t play. We were only playing long balls like them because it’s difficult to manage with this kind of pitch. I think the plan of the game was how we could manage the first 45 minutes," he continued.

“First, we don’t concede, and then we know that the opponent will take a lot of risks. They will try to press higher, and 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."

“The pitch we prepared from the beginning. We knew the pitch, the temperature, and the situation. For that, we were ready for everything.”

Although it has been revealed that some of the players were sick, the Premier Soccer League side must partly blame themselves.

The Glamour Boys missed open chances, notably by Ashley Du Preez, that would have indeed sealed the game in favour of Chiefs.

Now the focus shifts to a home PSL clash with Siwelele FC on Wednesday, 22 October, before the Confederation Cup second-leg action on 26 October.