A lot has been witnessed at Naturena since the Glamour Boys confirmed the Tunisian coach
It is exactly two months since Kaizer Chiefs confirmed the appointment of Tunisian tactician Nasreddine Nabi as their new coach.
Chiefs ended weeks of speculation when they confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in South African football with the announcement of Nabi on July 7.
Nabi walked into a Chiefs side bereft of confidence after a disappointing 10th place finish in the PSL and he is tasked with rebuilding the club to become a force that Amakhosi used to be.
The former Yanga and FAR Rabat coach agreed to take the job after receiving assurances on a number of factors and much more has happened since his arrival ahead of their 2024-25 season opener away to Marumo Gallants on September 14.
Own backroom staff
One of the main reasons for Nabi agreeing to work with Chiefs was that he would be allowed to come with his own backroom staff.
Nabi was handed a two-year contract, with the option to extend for another, and he came with his own men to Naturena.
Khalil Ben Youssef followed Nabi from FAR Rabat, to serve as the first assistant coach, while Fernando Da Cruz was roped in as the second assistant coach.
Ilyes Mzoughi is the goalkeeping coach and Safi Majdi as the strength and conditioning coach and assistant coach.
However, Da Cruz has since left the club after opting to take up a role at the Morocco football Association last week and former Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane is tipped to replace him.
Pre-season in Turkey
Nabi arrived at Chiefs when the squad was already in Turkey for pre-season and used the opportunity to implement his methods while also getting to know some of his players.
Chiefs were in Turkey from July 4-24 and played two friendly matches against Qatari club Al Shahaniya, which they won 5-2, followed by a 0-0 draw against Al Dibba Al Hisn from the UAE.
Friendlies
Amakhosi returned home and their first assignment was the inaugural Toyota Cup held at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein where Nabi’s former side Yanga were the opponents.
Chiefs lost 4-0 with Nabi saying the match helped him a lot to know the level of his players.
However, since then, there have been improvements as Amakhosi have fared better in friendly matches played behind closed doors.
Their most recent match was a 2-0 victory over SuperSport United, this coming after Chiefs had lost 3-0 to TS Galaxy.
Nabi’s men also recorded a 2-1 win against Chippa United, having handed Highlands Park a 2-1 defeat.
Transfers
Chiefs’ pre-season and friendly matches gave Nabi an indication of what he needed to do and whom to bring in and so far, he has managed to sign seven players, even though he is still in the market for further reinforcements.
By the time Nabi arrived, Keagan Dolly, Siyethemba Sithebe, Njabulo Ngcobo and S'fiso Hlanti had already left the club before Jasond Gonzalez followed them out. Club legend Itumeleng Khune was handed a role at the club.
Chiefs’ transfer business has had an emphasis on defence with goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari (TS Galaxy) the first to arrive followed by defenders Rushwin Dortley (Cape Town Spurs) and Bongani Sam (Orlando Pirates) before ex Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Gaston Sirino was added on a free transfer.
Angolan defender Miguel Inacio (Petro de Luanda) was another statement signing before Chiefs excited fans with the signing of former midfielder Njabulo Blom, on loan from MLS side St Louis City FC. That is the same day that defender Bradley Cross was also announced from Golden Arrows.
Nabi is on record saying this is still not enough until he finds another striker and winger before the September 20 transfer deadline day.
What have they said?
While Chiefs fans are anticipating an impressive season from Nabi, the 59-year-old has warned them against expecting too much from a team that finished 10th in 2023-24.
“I don’t have any magic potion to take Kaizer Chiefs to where they used to be, but I am here to do my very best to get the club back to where it belongs, at the top,” Nabi said at the launch of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership.
“My mission is to bring the glory days back to Kaizer Chiefs. I cannot make promises on results but I can promise that I will do everything I possibly can to do well this season.”
