Raja Casablanca’s Fadlu Davids offers take on Chiefs-linked Nabi
Raja Casablanca assistant coach Fadlu Davids has offered his take on Nasreddine Nabi, who is heavily linked to the Kaizer Chiefs hot seat.
Davids’ comments come as Chiefs’ search for a new coach intensified with AS FAR man Nabi emerging as the frontrunner.
Amakhosi’s quest to find a coach that will lead them back to their glory days began when they let go of Molefi Ntseki in the middle of the previous season. Cavin Johnson took the reins on an interim basis, with whispers of a permanent role.
Those reports faded after a string of poor results saw Chiefs conclude the 2023/24 season outside the top eight and extend their trophy drought to nine years. Since then, a carousel of names has been linked to Amakhosi: Alexandre Santos, Rui Vitoria, Raul Caneda, Pitso Mosimane, and even Benni McCarthy as the club seeks a fresh start.
FARPost has it on good authority that the 2012 CAF Confederations Cup-winning coaching coach, Nabi, is close to sealing a move to Naturena. The Tunisian coach nearly landed the Chiefs job last season after guiding Young Africans to consecutive domestic trebles in Tanzania and a Confed Cup runner-up finish. However, negotiations fell through, leading him to Morocco’s AS FAR.
In Morocco this season, Nabi narrowly missed out on the Botola Pro League title. His side, AS FAR, dropped to second place in the penultimate game, finishing just a point behind the unbeaten Raja Casablanca, coached by the former Orlando Pirates duo Josef Zinnbauer and Davids.
But Nabi’s AS FAR remains in contention for silverware as they are set to face MAS de Fès for a spot in the Moroccan Throne Cup semi-final on Sunday.
FADLU DAVIDS Offers Insights on Chiefs-Linked Nabi
With Nabi’s potential move to Amakhosi gaining traction, Davids’ insights shed light on the tactician’s capabilities.
Davids described Nabi as a coach who favours a direct style of play. The ex-Pirates assistant coach highlighted Nabi’s success with AS FAR, which boasts the league’s most prolific offence with 65 goals, particularly from set pieces.
Zinnbauer and Davids faced Nabi’s AS FAR twice in the league this season, with both encounters ending in draws. Interestingly, their paths could cross again this season as both teams are now in the semi-final of the Throne Cup.
“Nabi’s team is very direct; they score a lot of goals in set pieces and penalties,” Davids told FARPost. “But a very powerful team. They are very direct in their approach, with lots of crosses coming into the box, and they win games. That’s their strength. They will win their matches; no matter what, they will win.
“It is a contrasting style to us at Raja. We are a possession-based team. We want to see football being played in a certain way. On the other hand, Nabi is about getting results, and he got results. The entire season, they were on top of the log; how did they manage to win? A cross results in a goal, or from a setpiece or penalty, they always manage to win. They also have the depth and quality.
“Anyway, we still have the semi-final cup on June 25th against MC Oujda. Hopefully, we will become double champions, and if Nabi is allowed to play in the final, hopefully we will get FAR Rabat.”
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