With a furrowed brow and a tone laced with disappointment, Nasreddine Nabi addressed concerns about Kaizer Chiefs’ goal-scoring struggles and the potential need for a dedicated striker coach.
This comes after Chiefs were left frustrated by a goalless draw despite a relentless offensive barrage against Cape Town City FC in their Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday night.
Amakhosi, mirroring their season-long trend, generated a flurry of chances, peppering the opposition goal with 17 shots. However, their finishing proved poor, with only three shots finding the target and one striking the woodwork. This not only denied them a crucial victory but also squandered the chance to secure their first three-game winning streak of the season as they beat Stellenbosch and Magesi FC in their last two games.
But Chiefs’ goal-scoring woes, a persistent issue, predates Nabi’s tenure. It stretches back to Arthur Zwane’s leadership in 2022 and even earlier. Zwane himself had previously acknowledged the need for a striker coach to address the team’s lack of clinical finishing.
NABI SAYS A STRIKER COACH IS NOT NEEDED, BUT OPEN TO DISCUSSION
Nabi does not believe a striker coach is the sole solution to Chiefs’ scoring issues but says he is open to discussing the idea with the club’s management.
“What was missing was to put the ball in the back of the net, it is that simple. We were unlucky not to get the three points but we had clear chances to score. We did everything but didn’t score,” said Nabi after the CT City game.
“We feel that not scoring tonight is not an issue about a coach for strikers, probably it is an idea we can discuss [with the management] but it is not an issue for today’s game.”
Despite being the seventh-highest-scoring team in the league with 22 goals, Nabi is of the view that the Chiefs’ conversion rate can be better. While he accepts responsibility for Amakhosi’s overall performance, he also placed strong emphasis on the need for players to take greater accountability for their finishing.
“I am not being dramatic but it is bad, it is not the first game we have a chance to move up the log standings but drop points. The mistakes we continue to commit have been the same since the start of the season,” he added.
“At this moment, we need to evaluate to understand what is the problem because tonight [against CT City], normal score 3 to 4-0 win, I say this with big respect to Cape Town City but we had to score. I will take the responsibility, I don’t want to attack my players, I need to protect them. After games, I don’t even question my players even when they miss an opportunity, but it is not possible that you always lose.”
RELATED STORY: Nabi sends message of assurance to Chiefs fans
