Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi has weighed in on Njabulo Blom’s difficulties since rejoining Kaizer Chiefs on a season-long loan from MSL side St. Louis CITY SC.
Blom’s undeniable talent has been overshadowed by below par performances for a player of his calibre at Amakhosi, fueling concerns among fans and pundits alike.
This season, he has struggled to replicate the form that once made him a fan-favourite as he dished up good displays in midfield in the colours of Chiefs.
Before his return to the Soweto giants, Blom impressed in the MLS, earning regular Bafana Bafana call-ups. However, he fell out of favour at both St. Louis CITY SC and with Bafana coach Hugo Broos, a trend that appears to have continued upon his return to South Africa.
And as Chiefs are rebuiding, Blom’s return generated excitement, with many expecting him to anchor the midfield. Hopes were high that the 25-year-old would recapture the brilliance he displayed at Amakhosi prior to his 2022 move overseas.
But Blom has started only nine of Chiefs’ 20 league games this season. He has also been deployed as a right-back on several occasions. In the 1-0 victory over Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday night, he was given the opportunity to start as a deep-lying midfielder, filling in for the suspended Thabo Cele. However, a lacklustre performance resulted in his substitution at halftime for George Matlou.
NABI REFUSES TO JUDGE BLOM’S PERFORMANCE AT CHIEFS
While refraining from criticising Blom in the media, Chiefs head coach Nabi acknowledged that the versatile player has room for improvement.
“I don’t want to judge the performance of one of my players here [in the media],” said Nabi. “We will look at different data and videos about his performance to try to find out why [he struggles].
“We [technical team] as well believe that he was not in his best condition tonight [against Magesi], and it was not as well his best performance, that we [can] agree on. But we will take a look at it using every tool that we have.”
Upon Blom’s return to Chiefs in September 2024, Nabi stated that the midfielder lacked match fitness due to the differing football calendars of the USA. He expressed confidence that Blom would quickly regain his form.
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