Chiefs looked on course for an impressive victory after producing a spirited first-half display against the Brazilians. Flavio da Silva handed Amakhosi the lead before the break as the hosts matched Sundowns’ intensity in midfield and defence.
However, Sundowns responded in the second half through Brayan Leon, who netted the equaliser to deny Chiefs maximum points on the night.
One of the major talking points from the encounter was the substitution of Siphesihle Ndlovu early in the second half. The midfielder had already been booked and was fortunate to avoid a red card following a reckless challenge on Keanu Cupido, which forced the defender off on a stretcher.
Ben Youssef explained that the technical team decided not to take any risks with the midfielder, opting to introduce Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa for more balance in the middle of the park.
“Ndlovu, we made the substitution because he was close to getting a second yellow card,” Ben Youssef told SuperSport TV.
“We didn’t want to lose him in the game, so that was the situation. We introduced Ox to give us more balance.”
The Tunisian tactician also praised the collective effort of his side, highlighting several standout performers on the day.
“I think all the players deserved to be man of the match today (Wednesday) — not only Ndlovu, but Thabiso Monyane, Godly Lilepo and all of them,” he added.
Ben Youssef further insisted Chiefs have shown clear improvement this season, pointing to both their performances and results as evidence of the progress being made under the current technical team.
