Following successive seasons out of the top four, Kaizer Chiefs hired Tunisian tactician Nasreddine Nabi to restore them to winning ways.
And, that he has.
Kaizer Chiefs impressive start
Don’t let Kaizer Chiefs’ recent defeat to Sundowns fool you – this is a team ready to fight for the title.
Before the introduction of Nabi, AmaKhosi needed to be more robust all over the pitch, finishing a sobering 10th place in the 2023/24 season.
Now they look like a team reborn, with Mduduzi Shabalala, Wandile Duba and Ranga Chivaviro steering the Soweto giants towards potential glory.
They’ve scored six goals in three games—the second-highest in the league—showcasing the head coach’s instant impact.
They are now deadlier in front of goal, harder to break down and tighter in-between possessions.
Nabi enjoyed an electric start to the season, watching his side score three goals in the opening 23 minutes of their first game.
They went on to beat AmaZulu 3-1 with goals from Chivaviro, Gastón Sirino, and Inácio Miguel.
Two weeks later it was another win away from home, defeating Gallants 2-1.
While an early-season defeat to reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns occurred, their side was different from the one that lost 5-1 to them at the end of last season.
They head into the international break feeling hard done by a lack of resources in the South African Premiership, as Sundowns winning goal was later reviewed as offside.
To make matters worse, an AmaKhosi goal was ruled out in the game’s dying minutes.
Currently sitting sixth on the log, the Sowetan side is experiencing a new wave of optimism, one that should be a warning sign to the rest of the league.
The Nabi effect.
Upcoming Fixtures
- SuperSport United vs Kaizer Chiefs (17:30, October 26)
- Magesi vs Kaizer Chiefs (19:30, October 30)
- Kaizer Chiefs vs Royal AM (17:30, November 9)
What does Hugo Broos think of Nabi?
In a conversation with iDiski Times, Hugo Broos said, “I’m happy that Kaizer Chiefs are showing they will come again to what they were a few years ago,
“They have been very disappointing in the last two years. I think the coach who is there now is a good coach and I know him.
“I think he can change it, and he’s starting to change things already when I see Chiefs play. There’s a plan there, there’s structure. He knows what he wants,
“He’s also a guy like me, he tells things like they are. What I feel, is there’s no friendship politics anymore, you have to perform and then you get a place in the team and that’s how it has to be. So I’m very happy with what’s happening in Chiefs now.
“Let’s be honest, it’s normal; for a club like Chiefs to be eighth of ninth in the competition for the last two, three years, it’s not normal. It has to be… not always champions but second or third, maybe fourth… And I think they are on a good track now, so let’s hope.”
Do you think Kaizer Chiefs can win the league?
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