Too early to dream? Khalil Ben Youssef reveals Kaizer Chiefs PSL target – 'If we play in the league, we play to win the league'

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef is adamant the Glamour Boys are going to challenge for the Premier Soccer League title this season.

Three wins in three games this season mark yet another impressive record for the Tunisian whenever he is in charge, when head coach Nasreddine Nabi is not available.

The tactician has stressed that Amakhosi are going to compete this time round and will not be mere participants.

"We have our targets inside between the players and the technical team," Ben Youssef is quoted by KickOff as saying after Chiefs' win over Richards Bay on Tuesday.

"It is written in our meeting room at the Village, and you can ask about it. We know what we have to do, and we keep it between ourselves."

"For us, we take it game by game. We don’t think about anything, and we don’t have any pressure. For sure, Kaizer Chiefs is one of the biggest teams in South Africa," he added.

"If we play in the league, we play to win the league. I think there are still a lot of things to make in this team, but until now, let me say we are 60-70%; we are happy about the performance."

What makes the Tunisian even more confident is the fact that he believes the new signings will make the Soweto giants a more competitive outfit than they were last season.

"There are a lot of things to continue, and with the new players, they will give us more solutions to help the team," Ben Youssef said.

"Until now, I think defensively we perform well. We still have something to add in offensive formation to give more solutions and to create more solutions to score," he explained.

"I think there is a big difference between this season and last season, and that is the most important thing for us."

As Chiefs celebrate their perfect start to the season, a concerning injury fear hit their camp; Aden McCarthy was withdrawn in the first half against Richards Bay and will likely miss some games.

McCarthy, who was named Man of the Match in their games against Stellenbosch and Polokwane City, has been a vital cog in the defence department.

His injury fears came at a time when fellow defenders Given Msimango and Rushwin Dortley are close to returning to full action. However, the availability of Zitha Kwinika will provide an option for that position in the meantime.

Although they have evaded early pressure in the season by starting on a positive note, the pressure that comes with the winning streak is the need to keep it going.

Their next challenge is expected to be tougher, given that they will face PSL defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, on August 27. This is considered a real challenge for the Glamour Boys because it will test their mettle and give a real picture of whether indeed they are real title challengers or pretenders.