Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has delivered an encouraging message to the club’s fans following the 1-0 defeat against bitter rivals Orlando Pirates on Saturday. The two Soweto giants faced off in the highly anticipated Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium.
The Buccaneers emerged winners courtesy of a late penalty converted by Patrick Maswanganyi. The Tunisian coach commented on the loss, stating that ‘the result stings’.
The former coach of Young Africans and AS FAR Rabat took over at the start of the season. He is expected to be the one to turn around the fortunes of the Chiefs, who have yet to win a league title since the 2014/15 season. They have not secured any major silverware in the past nine years either.
WHAT DID NABI SAY IN HIS MESSAGE TO CHIEFS FANS
While admitting that the Derby result stings, possibly because of how they conceded, Nabi believes they are on the right track. He thanked the club’s fans and management for their “unwavering support”.
“Amakhosi faithful, your passion fuels us. A tough one yesterday, the result stings, but we see the progress, the strides we’re making. The journey is long, but we’re on the right path. Thank you for your unwavering belief, and thanks to management for their continued support. We will rise again,” he wrote on his Instagram.
Khalil Ben Youssef, Nabi’s first assistant, took to Instagram to offer his apologies to the fans regarding the loss. “Sorry to our fans. This loss hurts, but we’ll keep fighting. Proud of our players who never gave up. We may have fallen today, but the mission isn’t over. The best is yet to come. Thank you for your support.”
On Saturday, the 59-year-old coach, Nabi, used two of his January signings – Glody Lilepo and Thabo Cele. TashreeqMorris, signed from SuperSport United, was out due to suspension.
Nabi will now turn his focus to the next Betway Premiership encounter against AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday. Kick–off is 19h30.
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