Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has thrown his weight behind Yusuf Maart following recent criticism, stating the Amkhosi captain is suffering.
Maart produced a Man-of-the-Match performance after netting the winning goal that saw Chiefs clinch the Nedbank Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The central-midfielder scored alongside Gaston Sirino to pull off a massive win for the Glamour Boys while Pirates netted their only goal through Evidence Makgopa.
With a win over the Pirates in the final, Chiefs ended their long-standing trophy drought and won silverware in Nabi’s first season as coach.
The Tunisian coach took over the hot seat at the start of the 2024/25 season and had a big task of bringing the Naturena-based side back to their glory days.
WHAT NABI SAID ABOUT THE CRITICISM OF YUSUF MAART
Speaking after guiding Chiefs to the Nedbank Cup triumph, Nabi gave special praise to Maart and said the criticism is unfair on the 29-year-old.
Last week, Chiefs legend Marks Maponyane claimed that Maart is not suitable for the club’s captaincy and questioned his leadership skills. Meanwhile, the Pirates youth product has also been on the receiving end of criticism from the demanding Amkhosi fans.
“It’s true that sometimes the fans get too emotional, and they wanted to win the cup so bad. Sometimes their reaction is emotional, you even noticed that when we substituted Thabo Cele, they we not happy,” Nabi said.
“We knew what we were doing, and on the other hand, a player like Yusuf Maart has been suffering a lot after being unfairly attacked, and people are questioning his leadership qualities as a player, but we saw his contribution.
“Our message to you, the fans, is that we need you in our worst moments to be there, support us, and lift us up.”
The former Sekhukhune United star, Maart, has featured in 32 appearances in all competitions this season. In those games, he managed to score three goals, and provide three assists.
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