Nasreddine Nabi hails Kaizer Chiefs defence after ‘tough 10 years' to clinch Nedbank Cup title

IOL News

10-05-2025

Kaizer Chiefs Kaizer Chiefs players start the celebrations as captain Yusuf Maart lifts the Nedbank Cup trophy. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze beamed with pride as the club ended a decade-long trophy drought, defeating rivals Orlando Pirates 2-1 in Saturday's Nedbank Cup final in Durban.
It was a victory that meant more than just a cup – it signified the end of years of drought, frustration and rebuilding for a club that once defined domestic dominance.
For head coach Nasreddine Nabi and his technical team, led alongside long-time lieutenant Kaze, this was their first major success since arriving at Naturena nine months ago.
'It is a very big and nice baby that we've just delivered,' Kaze said with a broad smile, referencing the pregnancy analogy he used earlier in the week to describe their season-long effort.
The result was all that mattered, even if the performance didn't sparkle.
Goals in either half sealed the win for Chiefs, and despite Pirates pulling one back, the Amakhosi held on to ensure the celebrations could begin.
'We have to admit that it wasn't a nice final, not very entertaining. But games like these are not meant to be played – they're meant to be won,' Nabi said at the post-match press conference.
'After we scored the second goal, it showed in the way we defended.
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'It's been a tough 10 years, and everyone at this club wanted to win so badly. That's why we came here, and now here we are.'
The win was also deeply personal for some of the players, especially captain Yusuf Maart, whose leadership had often come under heavy criticism this season.
On the day it mattered most, Maart stepped up and scored the goal that would go down in club history.
Kaze, in defending his captain, reminded supporters of the human side of football.
'The fans sometimes get too emotional because they wanted to win the cup so badly,' he said.
'We saw what happened when we subbed off Thabo Cele; they weren't happy, but we knew what we were doing.
'A player like Yusuf Maart, who has suffered this season by being unfairly attacked – people questioned his captaincy.
'But you saw his contribution as the captain. We want them (fans) to be with us during the hard times.'
That sentiment echoed around the Chiefs camp as players like Sibongiseni Mthethwa and Happy Mashiane asked fans to stand by the team not only in victory, but in adversity as well.
Saturday's result could be a turning point for the Soweto giants.
After years of missed opportunities, false dawns and internal turmoil, the win represents the beginning of a new era.
Kaze and Nabi, who won back-to-back trebles in Tanzania with Young Africans, now have a foundation to build something similar at Chiefs.
The significance of this cup triumph stretches far beyond the 90 minutes in Durban. It has reignited belief in a project that, at times, seemed destined to falter.
For Nabi and Kaze, it's a validation of their methods.
For Chiefs fans, it's the trophy they've long dreamed of.
And for the club's hierarchy, it's a return on their gamble to bring in a new vision.