With the 2024/25 PSL season drawing to a close, Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has spoken out about his biggest concern at the club.
The arrival of Tunisian coach Nabi at the start of the campaign had initially sparked renewed optimism among supporters hoping to see an end to the club’s struggles. However, Amakhosi’s form dipped midway through the campaign, resulting in a lack of consistency in the Betway Premiership.
With only eight wins, six draws, and 11 defeats after 25 matches, they find themselves in ninth place with a mere 30 points. This precarious position also leaves them just seven points above 15th-placed Cape Town City FC in the relegation battle. Their current winless streak of six league games further underscores their struggles.
This placement outside the top eight is a worrying situation for the club, especially considering their 10th-place finish in the previous season. Their absence from the MTN8 and their early exit from the Carling Knockout Cup further compounded their challenges.
Nevertheless, two potential silver linings remain this season. The Soweto giants have reached the Nedbank Cup final, where they are set to face Orlando Pirates on May 10th in Durban, offering a chance to end their nine-year trophy drought. Additionally, they have qualified for the CAF inter-club competition for the first time since their CAF Champions League final appearance in 2021.
Amidst this challenging period, Nabi has revealed his primary concern, which extends beyond the results. While acknowledging the ‘very bad situation’ and refraining from making excuses, Nabi’s most significant worry lies in Chiefs’ evident loss of playing identity and style.
BEYOND RESULTS: NABI ALARMED BY CHIEFS’ FADING PLAYING STYLE
“It is unfortunate that the situation is very bad; we have to accept it, there is no excuse for that,” said Nabi. “But the most worrying thing is not about the results, but that we have even lost our way of playing, and that is even more concerning.
“About the statistics of all the previous games, we can say a lot of things about it, but the only thing that we can say is that we are in a very bad situation, and that’s the situation that we are in.
“I can take you through the situation of the previous weeks. Before we had a game plan, we were creating opportunities, probably not scoring enough, and sometimes we got caught on a counter-attack or transition. But the situation is not good, and there is no excuse for that.”
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