‘No different to last season’ – Khan’s verdict on Kaizer Chiefs

Former Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Farouk Khan believes Amakhosi have made little progress compared to last season.

During the 2025/26 campaign, Chiefs finished third in the Betway Premiership under co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze.

The Glamour Boys, however, have struggled for consistency this season, both in cup competitions and the league.

Speaking on SoccerBeat, Khan believes Sunday’s 2-1 Carling Knockout victory over Siwelele will give head coach Fernando Da Cruz some encouragement. However, he feels there are still several issues that need addressing.

“If I was Da Cruz, I will be happy after the derby loss; I’d be overjoyed with the result but if I had to be honest with myself as far as performance is concerned, there are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up,” he said.

Kaizer Chiefs into the Carling KO semis

Khan was also critical of Chiefs’ playing style, arguing that their approach could work against them when facing defensively organised opponents.

“When Chiefs win possession, you know they are going to attack you at a 120km/h, which sometimes work but when teams are organised defensively, it can work against you because you give away possession.”

The former Kaizer Chiefs coach also questioned whether Da Cruz has made any significant improvements to the team compared to last season.

“I think this team is no different to the team we saw last season with co-coaches. They are very similar in their approach; I think that team was a bit more consistent if you look at where they finished,” Khan added.