Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef has shared his assessment of Luke Baartman’s long-delayed first appearance for the senior team, after the teenager finally made his official debut in the goalless draw against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
Baartman, who came on as an 80th-minute substitute in Chiefs’ final match of 2025, showed flashes of promise in his brief cameo, earning praise from the technical team. The 19-year-old SA U20 international was signed from Cape Town Spurs ahead of the 2025/26 season but had been unable to register for several months due to a clearance dispute.
A debut stalled by controversy
Baartman and fellow Spurs attacker Asanele Velebayi were initially blocked from joining Amakhosi after their former club argued they still had active contracts. The saga was resolved only after the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber ruled both players free agents, allowing them to officially register with Chiefs.
Despite the ruling, Baartman had not broken into the matchday squad earlier in the campaign, with Chiefs’ revamped frontline offering fierce competition for places.
Ben Youssef: “He earned the opportunity”
Speaking after the match, Ben Youssef expressed satisfaction with Baartman’s introduction and stressed that selection is based strictly on readiness and merit.
“All players deserve to play. We have a big squad now, and there’s a lot of competition,” he said.
“We are with them in training every day, and we see who is more ready for each game. We also plan our substitutions very carefully.”
The coach highlighted Baartman’s impact in his short time on the pitch:
“He played well in the last 10 minutes and created a number of opportunities for us. We have to keep working. The most important thing is the team, not the individual.”
Baartman will now hope his encouraging debut opens the door to more minutes in the second half of the season as Chiefs continue building towards a stronger attacking identity under the new coaching duo.