Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi insists his players must have a winning mentality even if they are in a rebuilding phase.
Nabi has been quick to implement his philosophy at Chiefs after arriving in July, and even though they are still a work in progress, he does not want that to be used as an excuse for lacklustre performances.
“The fact that we are rebuilding the team, the process of rebuilding does not stop us from having a winning mentality,” Nabi told the media on Thursday, ahead of his team’s Carling Knockout Round of 16 match against SuperSport United, on Saturday.
The tactician is not accepting mediocrity
“In every game we will take it game by game with a winning mentality whether it is a cup or league itself. We don’t want to hide behind the fact that we are rebuilding and the result is secondary.”
Nabi, who has won two of his three league matches, has implemented an attractive style of play at Chiefs which has got the fans excited, although he has previously explained that his team are just at 20 per cent of where he wants them to be.
However, his no-nonsense approach seems to be rubbing off well on his players with forward Wandile Duba among those who have expressed their excitement at working with the veteran Tunisian tactician.
What have Nabi’s players said about him?
“Coach Nabi believes in players who work hard, not only youngsters. If you work hard, he will play you regardless of if you are young or old,” Duba told the media this week.
“Coach is very different from the other coaches because he wants wins only. He doesn’t want a player that will relax after scoring, he wants hard workers.”
Nabi’s men have back-to-back games against SuperSport as they will take on Gavin Hunt’s side in the PSL next weekend after Saturday’s Carling Knockout encounter.
