Nabi’s Chiefs continue to flounder as they are downed by Polokwane

Kaizer Chiefs continued to battle under the new coaching regime of Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi, suffering another disappointing result with their 2-0 Betway Premiership defeat against Polokwane City on Sunday.

Emerging as early season surprise packages, having also handed champions Mamelodi Sundowns what remains their only 2024-25 league defeat back in October, Polokwane condemned Chiefs to their third league defeat of the campaign.

Highly rated Bafana Bafana forward Oswin Appollis put City ahead in the 17th minute. Chiefs spurned many chances, including Tebogo Potsane's powerful shot that rocked the woodwork in the 83rd, before Mokibelo Ramabu added the Limpopo side's second at Peter Mokaba Stadium in the 90th.  

The result left Chiefs with one win from their last six league and cup matches. They have the same recent record in the league leaving them wallowing in ninth place.

Coach Phuti Mohafe's City are flying high in third.

Amid reports this week that he habitually breaches club's code of conduct, Gaston Sirino still found himself in the starting line-up. Njabulo Blom also started in an unfamiliar right-back position, thanks to first-choice Reeve Frosler's suspension and second-choice Dillan Solomons' injury.

Conversely, Rise and Shine made two changes to the XI that drew 1-1 against TS Galaxy last Sunday, with skipper Bulelani Nikani and striker Douglas Mapfumo claiming the berths that were occupied by Francis Baloyi and Hlayisi Chauke respectively. 

Mapfumo was replaced by Chauke at the start of the second half but the latter lasted a mere 27 minutes, suffering a face injury after being hit by the ball, to be stretchered off and replaced by Puleng Marema.

Chiefs made several box entries in the early stages of the match, also controlling the ball. What helped Amakhosi control the game was the combination of captain Yusuf Maart and Sibongiseni Mthethwa in the engine room.

The pair kept to basics and never held on to the ball too long. The Chiefs midfield duo also played a few forward passes to tee up the likes of Sirino and Mduduzi Shabalala but their forwards lacked a cutting edge.

Against the run of play, Polokwane took the lead via Appollis when his strike from an acute angle, after Thabang Matuludi's low-driven cross, beat Brandon Petersen.

Eager to turn things around, Amakhosi returned from the break introducing Mfundo Vilakazi and Potsane, who had never played under Nabi in an official match, from the bench, replacing Sirino and Wandile Duba.

Chiefs created a number of chances late in the second half, but it was not meant to be as it was Polokwane that scored late when, on a counterattack, Petersen had to block as Marema steamed through on goal, Ramabu hitting the rebound into an almost open goal.