Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Derick Spencer insists that coach Nasreddine Nabi is harshly judged at the club.
The Tunisian took over at the beginning of the season to help the Glamour Boys get the team back at the helm of Mzansi football. However, they have been inconsistent, especially in the Premier Soccer League, where they are struggling to finish in the top eight.
Nevertheless, they reached the Carling Knockout quarter-final but were undone by finalists Mamelodi Sundowns. Amakhosi avenged by eliminating them from the Nedbank Cup to set up a Soweto derby final against old rivals Orlando Pirates.
‘Nabi was building Chiefs'
Spencer insists Nabi was re-building the team, but remains hopeful of ending the decade-long trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup.
“It’s been up and down, not the season we really wanted but with all the changes we made with the new coach coming in, the new players, because half the team is new players who came in, so it’s not an overnight thing,” he said during a recent SuperSport media's event.
“It’s not an overnight thing for players to gel, finding their combinations. I would say this season was a building phase for the coach in his first season. Hopefully, with the cup, it shows something is happening, we’re in a final now after how many years.
“If we win this cup, I think it will be a good confidence booster going into next season, which we’re expecting Chiefs, the coach would have settled down and players as well.”
Pressure on Nabi unwarranted?
“It’s been pressure [for Nabi], the pressure it boils down to all these other years that Chiefs hasn’t been doing well, so obviously when someone comes in, whoever comes in now, you will expect them to; from the word go, win, which is not possible,” he continued.
“Half the team is new players, first time [Nabi] is coming to work in South Africa, the language barrier, it’s not been easy for him. It would be unfair for me to say he’s failed this season. There’s some good and some bad, there’s a lot of positives, we’re in a final now.
“For the first time [since 2019], I would give him another season, because this season was to put the team together to build for next season. I think next season the pressure will be on him to win and compete for the league,” Spencer concluded.
On Saturday, Kaizer Chiefs play Chippa United, hoping to get vital points in the Premier Soccer League.
