Opinion: Why this is Nasreddine Nabi's last season at Kaizer Chiefs

The South African

17 hours ago

Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi had high expectations during his 12 months at Kaizer Chiefs, but ultimately delivered disappointing results.
The 59-year-old coach was initially sought after by Amakhosi while he was with Yanga. After parting ways with the Tanzanian club in 2023, he joined FAR Rabat in Morocco.
At that time, reports indicated that Chiefs were reluctant to hire him along with his three assistants. Instead, the Glamour Boys appointed Molefi Ntseki, but his tenure lasted just four months before Cavin Johnson took over. Sadly, Johnson also struggled to move the team forward.
Eventually, Kaizer Chiefs decided to approach Nabi once more, allowing him to bring his technical team this time. Nabi began the season positively, winning his first three matches across all competitions. However, despite a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign, Amakhosi were unable to maintain their momentum and finished ninth in the Betway Premiership.
Their only saving grace was winning the Nedbank Cup, which marked the first trophy for the Khosination in a decade and helped secure the coach's position.
With the new season starting this weekend, pressure is on the Tunisian coach. Chiefs will not participate in the MTN8 and will play their opening match next weekend against Stellenbosch. Given the team's recent performances in pre-season, it appears unlikely that they will contend for the league title.
With the MTN8 out of consideration, Chiefs' realistic chances for silverware now lie in the Carling Knockout and Nedbank Cup.
Since 2013, Nabi has never coached a team for more than two seasons. Despite his success with Yanga, he was only there for two years. After that, he joined AS FAR but lasted just a season before joining the Soweto giants.
In May, there were rumours that Kaizer Chiefs might cut Nabi's stay short despite the Nedbank triumph. It appears the Tunisian was given another season to improve the team.
With Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns looking sharp, it seems unlikely that Amakhosi will challenge for top honours. A bad start for Kaizer Chiefs will put pressure on the players, forcing Nabi to quit before his three-year contract expires.
The only thing that can see him stay beyond this season is another cup win and top four finish.
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