Ilyes Mzoughi, Kaizer Chiefs’ Tunisian-French goalkeeper coach, left Amakhosi in May 2026 after two seasons and a Nedbank Cup triumph. His full biography, career, and net worth.
Ilyes Mzoughi is a Tunisian-French goalkeeper coach whose two-year tenure at Kaizer Chiefs — one of South Africa’s most storied football clubs — ended in late May 2026 when his contract expired. In those two seasons at Amakhosi, he became one of the most recognisable figures in the club’s technical setup: a passionate, direct, and charismatic coach who endeared himself to the Khosi Nation with his animated goalkeeping celebrations, his refreshing honesty, and his unshakeable commitment to his goalkeepers’ development. He was part of the technical team that guided Kaizer Chiefs to Nedbank Cup glory in the 2025–26 season — the club’s most significant domestic trophy in years.
His career before Kaizer Chiefs is a vivid map of African football coaching — Mauritania, Libya, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Dubai — built across more than a decade of work in goalkeeping coaching and development. He arrived at Amakhosi as part of head coach Nasreddine Nabi’s technical team in 2024, after four years as goalkeeper coach for the Mauritanian national team. His departure, confirmed just two days before this biography is published, marks the end of a chapter widely regarded as transformational for Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeping culture.
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Quick Facts About Ilyes Mzoughi
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ilyes Mzoughi |
| Nationality | Tunisian-French (dual nationality) |
| Profession | Goalkeeper Coach |
| Previous Role | Goalkeeper Coach, Kaizer Chiefs (2024–2026) |
| National Team Role | Goalkeeper Coach, Mauritanian National Team (Nov 2021–2025) |
| Previous Club | Dubai FCC |
| Other Countries Worked In | Libya, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia |
| Recruited By | Nasreddine Nabi (Head Coach, Kaizer Chiefs) |
| Trophy at Kaizer Chiefs | Nedbank Cup (2025–26 season) |
| Contract End | May 2026 (two-year contract expired) |
| Known For | Directness, passion, animated sideline celebrations |
Background and Nationality
Ilyes Mzoughi is a Tunisian-Frenchman — holding dual Tunisian and French nationality, a background that has given him both the cultural adaptability and the linguistic range to work seamlessly across North Africa, the Arabian Gulf, and sub-Saharan Africa. He has not publicly disclosed his date of birth, and specific personal details — including his age, hometown, and early family background — remain largely private.
What is clear from the record of his career is that he developed his coaching expertise across multiple countries and cultures before arriving in South Africa, and that his professional identity is defined almost entirely by his work in football.
He speaks and communicates in multiple languages, which has been an asset in every position he has held — from multi-lingual dressing rooms in the Arabian Gulf to working with players from across Africa at Mauritania and Kaizer Chiefs.
Early Coaching Career: Libya, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia
Before arriving in South Africa, Ilyes Mzoughi built a goalkeeping coaching career that spanned several countries and competitive environments. He worked in Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia — gaining exposure to football systems and players at varying developmental levels — before returning to Tunisia and then moving to the UAE-based club Dubai FCC. It was at Dubai FCC that he formed his professional partnership with Nasreddine Nabi, the Tunisian coach who would later be appointed as head coach of Kaizer Chiefs. The chemistry and trust they built at Dubai FCC became the foundation of Nabi’s decision to bring Mzoughi to South Africa.
He also held a position with Tunisian club US Ben Guerdane before joining the Mauritanian national team setup in November 2021 — a move that represented the most high-profile goalkeeping coaching role of his career to that point.
Mauritania National Team: Four Years of Development (2021–2025)
In November 2021, Ilyes Mzoughi was appointed goalkeeper coach of the Mauritanian senior national team — the Mourabitounes — a position he held for four years. During that time, he worked under a succession of head coaches: Gerard Buscher, Didier Gomes, and Amir Abdou. Mauritanian football was in an interesting period of development, with the national team beginning to establish itself at continental level following their historic 2019 Africa Cup of Nations debut.
His time with the Mauritanian national team ended when Amir Abdou — the Comoros-born Frenchman under whom he was working — was dismissed. Mauritania subsequently appointed Aritz Lopez Garai as their new national team coach, and Mzoughi’s goalkeeping role was taken by Aboubekrine Soueilem. The transition was formalised in early 2025, with his exit from the Mauritanian Federation job — the FFRiM (Fédération de Football de la Mauritanie) — confirmed in March 2025, allowing him to focus exclusively on Kaizer Chiefs.
Kaizer Chiefs: Season One (2024–25)
Ilyes Mzoughi joined Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the 2024–25 season as part of Nasreddine Nabi’s newly assembled technical team. The appointment represented a significant moment for Amakhosi, who were rebuilding under new leadership after several seasons without a league title, hoping to recapture the dominance that made them one of the most supported clubs on the continent.
The first season was, by Mzoughi’s own candid assessment, a difficult one. The goalkeeping department was disrupted early: Fiacre Ntwari, the Rwandan goalkeeper who started as first choice, sustained an injury, and Brandon Petersen required surgery on a finger. Bruce Bvuma stepped in to mind the posts for the majority of the season. Despite these challenges, Mzoughi’s working methods quickly won the respect of the goalkeepers. Bruce Bvuma described him publicly as “a quality coach and a great human being.” Brandon Petersen gave interviews about the positive influence of Mzoughi’s coaching philosophy and his direct communication style.
Kaizer Chiefs finished the season in a challenging position in the league table. However, the groundwork Mzoughi laid — in terms of technical development, psychological resilience, and cohesion — was visible to those watching the goalkeeping department closely. The team’s clean sheet record improved significantly as the season progressed: from a single clean sheet in the first seven games to seven in the last twenty — a measurable turnaround that reflected the coaching influence at work.
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Kaizer Chiefs: Season Two and Nedbank Cup Glory (2025–26)
The 2025–26 season vindicated the work of the first. Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeping department, now fully settled under Mzoughi’s direction, showed the consistency and reliability that had been missing. Brandon Petersen emerged as the established first-choice goalkeeper, with his performances strong enough that he was linked to the South African national team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad considerations.
Critically, Mzoughi was part of the technical team that guided Kaizer Chiefs to Nedbank Cup glory — the club’s most significant domestic trophy in recent memory, and a milestone that generated enormous celebration among the Amakhosi faithful. The Nedbank Cup triumph was celebrated as a renewal of purpose for a club that had struggled for silverware across several seasons.
Throughout the season, Mzoughi became a beloved figure on the sidelines — his animated reactions, passionate goalkeeping celebrations, and visible emotional investment in every game making him one of the most identifiable members of the Kaizer Chiefs technical setup. Supporters across South Africa recognised him immediately as someone who cared about the club with genuine feeling.
Character and Philosophy
Ilyes Mzoughi’s public persona is a balance of contrasting qualities that his colleagues and goalkeepers consistently describe with warmth. On the training ground, he is uncompromising in his standards — “It’s all about continuously raising the bar,” as Kaizer Chiefs’ official media noted. He is intensely direct in his communication, which he has laughingly acknowledged as both a strength and a personal challenge: “This is my problem. I am very honest and direct. However, I always say, ‘Better one word straight to the face, then ten words behind somebody’s back.'”
Off the pitch, the same person is entirely different in register — gregarious, warm, joke-prone, and perpetually smiling. His relationship with the Amakhosi fanbase became one of genuine mutual affection. When asked where he was from during his time in South Africa, his answer was both charming and revealing: “I am from Khosi Nation!” That single statement captured something true about his two seasons at Amakhosi — he did not merely work for Kaizer Chiefs; he became, in some sense, part of them.
Latest News: Departure from Kaizer Chiefs (May 2026)
On 27 May 2026 — two days before this biography is published — Kaizer Chiefs confirmed that Ilyes Mzoughi is leaving the club upon the expiry of his two-year contract. The departure follows that of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Ben Youssef Khalil. The club’s statement noted that Mzoughi “has overseen the goalkeeping department for the past two seasons and was part of the coaching staff that guided the Club to Nedbank Cup glory last term.”
His next destination had not been confirmed as of the time of writing. Given his track record across Africa, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe, and the profile his Kaizer Chiefs tenure has given him, interest from clubs and national teams across several football markets is anticipated.
Net Worth and Earnings
Ilyes Mzoughi’s estimated net worth is not publicly disclosed, reflecting the general privacy that football coaching staff maintain around personal finances in contrast to the public salary disclosures that sometimes accompany player contracts. Goalkeeping coaches at top PSL clubs like Kaizer Chiefs typically earn in the range of R80,000–R150,000 per month, placing his estimated annual earnings during his Kaizer Chiefs tenure between R1 million and R1.8 million.
His prior roles in the Arabian Gulf — where coaching salaries are generally higher than in African leagues — would have contributed to a stronger pre-South Africa earnings base. An estimated net worth of $200,000–$500,000 is a reasonable working range for a coaching professional of his experience level, though the actual figure is unverified.
Wrapping Up
Ilyes Mzoughi’s two seasons at Kaizer Chiefs were exactly the kind of appointment that looks modest in the announcement and significant in the rearview. He took a goalkeeping department disrupted by injuries, with one clean sheet in its first seven games, and helped build it into something reliable enough to contribute to a Nedbank Cup triumph. He did so with transparency, passion, and a personality that made him genuinely loved by a fanbase that had not always taken warmly to foreign technical staff.
His departure leaves Kaizer Chiefs needing to fill not just a technical role but a presence — someone the Khosi Nation identified with, laughed with, and celebrated with. For Mzoughi, the next chapter awaits. “I am from Khosi Nation” may have been a joke, but the affection behind it was entirely real. And in football, real affection is rare and worth something.
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People Also Ask
Who is Ilyes Mzoughi?
Ilyes Mzoughi is a Tunisian-French goalkeeper coach who served as Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeper coach for two seasons from 2024 to 2026. Before Kaizer Chiefs, he was goalkeeper coach of the Mauritanian national team for four years (2021–2025) and previously worked in Libya, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and at Dubai FCC. He was part of the technical team that guided Kaizer Chiefs to Nedbank Cup glory in the 2025–26 season.
Why did Ilyes Mzoughi leave Kaizer Chiefs?
Ilyes Mzoughi left Kaizer Chiefs in May 2026 when his two-year contract expired. Kaizer Chiefs confirmed his departure on 27 May 2026, the same period in which co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Ben Youssef Khalil also departed. The club acknowledged his contributions across two seasons, including the Nedbank Cup triumph, and his departure was the result of a natural contract conclusion rather than a dismissal.
How did Ilyes Mzoughi improve Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeping?
When Ilyes Mzoughi joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2024, the goalkeeping department had only one clean sheet in the first seven games of the season — partly due to injuries to Fiacre Ntwari and Brandon Petersen. Under his coaching, the side improved to seven clean sheets in the last twenty games of that first season. In his second season, Brandon Petersen emerged as a consistent first-choice goalkeeper strong enough to attract attention for the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, and the team won the Nedbank Cup.
What is Ilyes Mzoughi doing after Kaizer Chiefs?
As of 27 May 2026, Ilyes Mzoughi’s next coaching destination following his Kaizer Chiefs contract expiry has not been publicly confirmed. Given his profile — two seasons at one of Africa’s biggest clubs, four years with the Mauritanian national team, and prior experience across North Africa and the Arabian Gulf — interest from football markets in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe is expected.
