Aden McCarthy shines as Kaizer Chiefs open their Betway Premiership campaign with a win over Stellenbosch

Kaizer Chiefs’ assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has hailed Aden McCarthy for his outstanding Player of the Match-winning performance in the club’s 2-0 victory over Stellenbosch on Sunday night.

The win at Athlone Stadium, which marked the opening of Chiefs’ Betway Premiership campaign, came courtesy of well-taken goals from Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Godly Lilepo. It also served as a morale-boosting dedication to head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who was absent after travelling to Tunisia on Friday for a family emergency.

Speaking after the match, Ben Youssef was full of praise for the 22-year-old McCarthy, who has been steadily rising through the club’s ranks.

“Aden was with us last season in training,” he explained.

“We must thank our DDC coaches — they prepared him well. His performances at the start of the league last season were not up to standard, but after discussions, he worked hard to improve. He ended the season with us, starting the last two matches.

“In the pre-season camps, he was one of the best players, so he deserved to play. We didn’t give him a gift — his performance showed he earned his place in the team.”

Nabi is expected to miss Chiefs’ next league outing, a home clash with Polokwane City on Tuesday night, but Ben Youssef hopes to have a fuller squad available soon. New signings Flavio Silva, Ethan Chislett, and Nkanyiso Shinga were unavailable against Stellenbosch, reportedly due to their paperwork not yet being finalised.

“I think when the new players join the team, it will be better for us, and they will give us more solutions,” Ben Youssef added.

Chiefs will be aiming to build on this positive start and maintain momentum in the early stages of the campaign.