Kaizer Chiefs are fighting for the best position they can attain this season, says co-coach Khaled Ben Youssef without wanting to define or limit the club’s aspirations.
“First position, second position, we are fighting for the best position that we can do,” he said after the club won a third successive league match and moved up into third place on Monday when they beat Orbit College at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
They have games in hand but are still a considerable distance from the top two places.
“If we can fight for the first position, we'll fight; if it were the second position, we fight. But I think the most important thing is to finish in the top three, that's the minimum that we can do this season,” Ben Youssef added.
Chiefs are next up against TS Galaxy at Soccer City on Sunday, hoping to have players back after a season which has been riddled with injury concerns.
Chiefs were down to their last two central defenders in Aiden McCarthy and Given Msimango on Monday with Zitha Kwinika injured and Inacio Miguel suspended. Rushwin Dortley has missed the entire season after two knee surgeries.
Ben Youssef suggested Chiefs had been hampered by injuries and proven somewhat unfortunate.
“But let me say 80 per cent of our injuries were because of contact in the game. So it was even more unlucky.
“Every game we’ve missed one or two players. Also when you compete in African competition and with the different competitions that we have in South Africa, there is some load for the player, but like I said it was 80 per cent of them coming from contact in the game, not in the training sessions or about load.
“It's bad luck. Over the last few games, some people have talked about inconsistency in the selection, but like on Monday, the two changes that we made were forced on us because of suspension and injury.
“Let me say, every week we are forced to make changes, but I have to say thank you to the board that we have a big squad. So every time a player is not here, there is another who comes and can do the same job,” Ben Youssef insisted.