Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has explained why Thabo Cele was introduced late in the Soweto Derby and the reason behind Inacio Miguel’s absence from the field.
In a Betway Premiership game against Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Saturday that ended in a frustrating defeat for Chiefs, Nabi’s late substitution saw Cele enter the fray for the final 13 minutes, while Miguel remained on the bench throughout the match.
A promising 1-0 lead slipped through the fingers of Chiefs as they fell 2-1 to Pirates. This result compounds their woes, as it is their 12th league defeat this season, matching their unwanted PSL-era record for most losses in a single campaign, a mark they’ve now equalled for the third consecutive year.
Glody Lilepo put Amakhosi ahead, but Evidence Makgopa levelled matters for the Buccaneers in the first-half. Relebohile Mofokeng then struck in the second-half as Bucs completed a league double over their arch-rivals this season. In the same game, Bradley Cross was sent off in added time.
NABI REVEALS CELE AND MIGUEL WERE NOT 100% FIT FOR SOWETO DERBY
Nabi’s decision to start Nkosingiphile Ngcobo over Cele and Zitha Kwinika instead of Miguel led many to assume that his focus was already shifting towards the Nedbank Cup final.
However, Nabi clarified that both Cele and Miguel were not at full fitness, having recently recovered from injuries. Nevertheless, Cele did feature in the latter stages of the Bucs game, coming on for Ngcobo.
Cele has proven to be a valuable addition to Chiefs since joining in January, putting in impressive displays in midfield. He has featured in 14 matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Miguel, a seasoned defender who has also served as captain this season, has been a key figure, playing in 24 games. He has four goals to his name.
“For Cele, he is coming from an injury, and he hasn’t fully trained, and he’s been injured. That’s why he wasn’t fully fit – 100 per cent to start the game, to play the 90 minutes,” explained Nabi.
“About Inacio, it is the same thing, he is coming from an injury, and he wasn’t really fully fit to give a 100 per cent performance.”
Nabi and Chiefs’ next assignment is the Nedbank Cup, where they will face Pirates in another Soweto Derby on Saturday, May 10th at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
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