Kaizer Chiefs Confirm Diarrhoea Scare Struck Five Players Before Simba Clash

Several of Kaizer Chiefs’ key players were struck by a sudden stomach bug ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup goalless draw against AS Simba in Lubumbashi on Saturday afternoon. 

The illness threw the team’s preparations into disarray, with co-head coach Khalil Ben Youssef revealing that five players were affected just a day before the match.

The health scare came at a critical time for Amakhosi, who were already facing a challenging away fixture against a tough Simba side on a difficult pitch and in sweltering conditions. 

Despite the setback, Chiefs managed to hold their hosts to a 0-0 draw, keeping their hopes alive ahead of the return leg in Johannesburg.

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Ben Youssef explained that the situation was tense within the camp as the technical team scrambled to assess which players would be fit enough to take the field.

“It was a critical situation and we were not sure if they would play,” said Ben Youssef as quoted by Citizen.

“Five players yesterday had diarrhea. Congratulations to them, they were not 100 percent, but they were ready to fight for the team.”

The coach praised the players’ fighting spirit, saying their determination to represent the club under difficult circumstances was commendable. 

“With the situation of the pitch and the temperature, we prepared the players for this situation,” he said. 

“This was a pitch you can’t play on so we played long balls like them (Simba).”

Given the poor pitch conditions at the TP Mazembe Stadium and the physical toll on his players, Ben Youssef said the team opted for a more direct style of play. 

Chiefs focused on containing Simba in the first half while saving their attacking substitutions for later in the game.

“Our plan was to manage the first 45 minutes and not concede. Then we knew the opponent would take a lot of risks, press higher and leave us space. So we introduced (Mduduzi) Shabalala, Ashley (Du Preez) and (Wandile) Dubal, to give us speed,” Ben Youssef explained.

The strategy nearly paid off, with Chiefs creating several scoring opportunities late in the match.

 “In the first half we had two opportunities to score and one hit the crossbar from (Khanyisa) Mayo. In the 88th minute there was a good combination between (Mfundo) Vilakazi and Shabalala, who passed to Ashley and he was unlucky,” he added.

The coach revealed that both Vilakazi and Shabalala were kept on the bench initially due to their recent international commitments.

“We discussed their physical situation with both,” Ben Youssef said. 

“Vilakazi after the World Cup had only a week of training and a long flight back from Chile. Shabalala was with Bafana for ten days. Congratulations to them for qualifying for the World Cup. They didn’t start the game, they weren’t ready but we prepared for both to come on in the second half.”

Chiefs will hope to have all affected players fully recovered when they host Simba this Saturday at Dobsonville Stadium in the decisive second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup final qualifier.

Before that, Amakhosi face a midweek league encounter against Siwelele at FNB Stadium, though winger Glody Lilepo could miss out after sustaining an injury in Lubumbashi.