‘I’m not afraid’: Nabi understands gravity of challenge he faces at Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi says he understands the magnitude of expectations Amakhosi fans have as the club gets closer to their opening Betway Premiership match in a 2024-25 season in which they dare not win at least one trophy.

For Chiefs and their new Tunisian coach, this is a make or break campaign as the club will be striving to avoid the further embarrassment going an unprecedented 10 years without a trophy. The coach, though, has asked for realistic expectations and to be allowed to build a team — then look for silverware.

Nabi, the coach that Chiefs were expected to employ at the end of 2022-23 season, is the man everyone believes has the pedigree to arrest the club's slide, given what he did two seasons ago in Tanzania where he won back-to-back league and cup doubles with Young Africans, or Yanga.

The 58-year-old has worked in several countries, including Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Sudan and more recently with FAR Rabat in Morocco. In his one year in Morocco's super-competitive Botola, Nabi gave an indication that what he achieved in Tanzania was not a fluke as he steered FAR to a second-place finish by a point to Raja Casablanca's impressive unbeaten 2023-24 league win, his team losing three times.

That Chiefs, whose miserable period culminated in their worst Premiership finish of 10th in 2023-14, did not qualify for the MTN8, where Nabi would have faced huge expectations of winning a trophy from his very first match, could have been a blessing in disguise.

While Chiefs' nemeses Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will be involved in five and seven competitions (if the second edition of the African Football League goes ahead) respectively this season, Nabi's load is a lot lighter, with just three domestic competitions to compete for. The tournaments supporters, and probably the club, will expect a trophy from are the Betway Premiership, in which Amakhosi open their account away to Marumo Gallants at Free State Stadium on September 14, the Carling Knockout and the Nedbank Cup.

It should be a manageable task for Nabi, who has a lot on his plate when it comes to understanding both the league and all the new players he is working with for the first time at Naturena.

Most pressingly, though, it's the weight of expectation that will be put on arguably the highest-profile coaching appointment made by Chiefs amid their horrific period to turn things around — and the accumulated nine-year pressure for a trophy felt by everyone at the club including his players and technical staff — Nabi will have to contend with.

The desire that the Tunisian deliver will be heightened by Nabi having brought with him a heavyweight technical team of Khalil Ben Youssef (assistant coach), Fernando Da Cruz (second assistant), Ilyes Mzoughi (goalkeeper coach) and Safi Majdi (strength and conditioning coach).

Nabi can also not complain of Chiefs' management not supporting his call to strengthen the squad. Defenders Bongani Sam, Rushwin Dortley and Angolan Inacio Miguel, goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari, quality attacking midfielder Gaston Sirino from Mamelodi Sundowns and, this week, Amakhosi product Njabulo Blom back on loan from St Louis City in the US and left-back Bradley Cross from Lamontville Golden Arrows make for a strong group of signings.

I'm not afraid. I live with passion every day. But I know the challenge and we'll go step by step. With football you need time

—  Nasreddine Nabi

With seven new players on top, the best part of what they had last season and some deadweight removed, suddenly Chiefs' squad has a promising look to it. 

“It's normal because it's a big club — a  very big club with the biggest history,” Nabi admitted of the expectations he will face. 

“The fans are hungry for success. But I want to speak honestly with the fans: for myself, it's necessary to first build a strong team. After you've done that, you can talk about winning cups.”

Nabi was at pains to remind Amakhosi followers of where the team was last season and how 10 separate coaches have failed to bring silverware in the past nine years.

“It's not possible that you finished 10th and then you're on top now for the cups, or you win the league. It doesn't work like that. I don't want to speak the way the fans speak. I want to be realistic because I respect this club and I respect these fans.

“I need to build a strong team, step by step. We're starting to build and we can't complete it now, when we're just starting. I don't want to create confusion, but I want passion, space and comprehension.

“If you want to respect Kaizer Chiefs, you'll talk honestly with the fans of Chiefs. But you should work hard, with big energy to overcome this challenge. I know my club, I know my fans and we'll give 200%. I know which direction I should take because I have the experience of a challenge like this.

“I'm not afraid. I live with passion every day. But I know the challenge and we'll go step by step. With football you need time.”

While some PSL coaches have complained about the delay to the start of the season, Nabi is among those who are happier about it as it has given him time to play a few friendlies (including a 4-0 loss to his former team, Yanga, in a preseason friendly in Free State), while getting to know his players.

Given the coach's late arrival in the preseason due to FAR's programme only ending with their Throne Cup defeat to Raja on July 1, the bought time has been appreciated, especially after the Yanga defeat seemed to expose some glaring flaws in need of urgent attention.

“We've had some matches to check our players and the quality we have as we're preparing for our first league game. We're still looking to sign more players in different positions. We're still identifying those positions where we need them more. We're looking to get more players before the window closes [on September 20].

“The delay was good for me because I'm a new coach in the league. It gave me time to know my players, what we need and what we don't.” 

By the sound of it, by the time Chiefs go to the Free State to face Gallants, Nabi will be fully aware of where he is with his project at Naturena. What's clear is the Tunisian knows Amakhosi fans expect him to hit the ground running.