Kaizer Chiefs and head coach Nasreddine Nabi are on the brink of mutual separation. As things stand, the Tunisian mentor will not be travelling with the team to Angola on Thursday.
Chiefs are set to visit Girabola side Kabuscorp SCP in the first leg of the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup encounter. The match is set for the Estádio 11 de Novembro on Saturday.
At a meeting on Wednesday morning at Naturena, Nabi was informed of the club’s intention to suspend him. The suspension means he will not participate in any of the team’s activities, including training sessions.
The decision comes just a day after the team suffered its first loss of the new 2025/26 season. The Soweto giants lost 3-1 to Sekhukhune United in their sixth game of the season in the Betway Premiership. They had started off brightly, winning four of their five games, with the other ending in a draw.
CHIEFS AND NABI HEADED FOR SPLIT AFTER LICENCE SAGA
Chiefs are set to issue an official statement on the future of coach Nabi, with a parting of ways now looking imminent.
Despite leading the club to its first domestic trophy in over a decade after his appointment in July of last year, Nabi failed to secure a top-eight finish, which was a primary expectation of the club’s management. It’s believed that this failure created the initial rift between the two parties. But the latest controversy surrounding his coaching licence is thought to have completely shattered the relationship.
The Soweto giants were meant to submit Nabi’s UEFA Pro Licence to CAF in June, but reportedly did not. While the reasons for this are unclear, the fact that Nabi holds a valid licence has made the recent suspension attempt an even greater source of tension. This has pushed the coach and the Amakhosi hierarchy in entirely different directions.
RELATED STORY: Nabi addresses absence of Shinga and Chislett