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Kaizer Chiefs’ head coach Nasreddine Nabi is confident about the team’s development in certain areas of their gameplay, despite encountering a string of uneven results this season.
The Soweto club had a strong start to the 2024/25 season, winning their initial two matches in the Betway Premiership against Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu. However, they faced a disputed defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns shortly thereafter.
Amakhosi bounced back from the setback against Sundowns with a solid 4-0 victory over SuperSport United in the round of 16 of the Carling Knockout Cup. Yet, their celebrations were short-lived as Masandawana knocked them out with the same scoreline in the quarterfinals.
Following that, the Glamour Boys managed a 2-1 win over Richards Bay, then conceded a two-goal lead, settling for a draw against Royal AM, and were recently stunned by Polokwane City. Despite this, the Tunisian coach asserts that noticeable progress is being made.
“If you look at the statistics in the PSL, Kaizer Chiefs is the foremost team in South Africa in terms of creating scoring opportunities, showcasing where we are making headway,” Nabi stated.
“We are making progress with our build-up play and in generating clear and authentic goal-scoring chances.”
Nabi, who is at the helm to revive Chiefs’ fortunes, has acknowledged the team’s defensive flaws but insists that he cannot place full blame solely on the defense, highlighting the importance of a collective effort.
“We train rigorously, yet conceding goals has been a dilemma; however, we must concentrate on the bigger picture,” the 59-year-old coach stated through his interpreter, assistant coach Cedric Kaze, who joined the club in October.
“When we fail to score, we provide our opponents with a chance and elevate their confidence. Hence, we prefer not to single out the defenders; we anticipate everyone to enhance their efforts both offensively and defensively.”
The Chiefs coach went on to say they are exploring market opportunities to address their scoring issues, mentioning the potential addition of players who could improve their conversion rate.
“We cannot create numerous opportunities without a defined game model and a clear approach established during training. We are looking into various options to resolve this [goal-scoring] dilemma, potentially bringing in someone who could offer a remedy,” Nabi elaborated.
Chiefs will be back in action with an away game against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Monday, eager to improve their current standing in ninth place. Galaxy remains unbeaten in their last four league fixtures, securing two wins and two draws.
