Nasreddine Nabi has a mountain of a task to turn Kaizer Chiefs' fortunes around. Picture: Backpagepix
If Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi’s first week in South Africa as Amakhosi head coach is anything to go by, we are in for a ride that will never be dull, even if it does, at its conclusion, all go up in flames.
Nabi’s first press conference as Amakhosi mentor was friendly enough, with the Tunisian, via a translator, talking of the need for a club the size of Chiefs to win trophies, but also asking for patience.
‘Trust the process’ was effectively the message, and Chiefs supporters will now need to take that even more to heart, following Sunday’s 4-0 hammering by Young Africans in the Toyota Cup.
By the end of that match, Nabi had discarded his need for a translator, turning straight to English as he told reporters “it’s not my fault that people who don’t know football don’t sleep today because the team lost a friendly match.”
If such a comment perhaps lacks a little tact, it is certainly a truth that pre-season results are fundamentally irrelevant. Chiefs were also beaten by a side better on paper and on the pitch, a side that won its domestic title by 11 points and reached last season’s Caf Champions League quarterfinal.
Nabi has plenty of time to build a side capable of delivering better when the real action kicks off, especially as Chiefs are not playing in the MTN8, with their first official Betway Premiership fixture only set for September 14.
Whether Chiefs will be able to lift any silverware, however, is another story, and Young Africans coach Miguel Gamondi was refreshingly honest when he suggested Chiefs simply don’t have the players to challenge the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates for honours.
Chiefs have already brought in some new signings, who didn’t play on Sunday goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari and central defender Rushwin Dortley may well improve Chiefs’ defending, though they may also take time to adapt Nabi’s methods.
But overall, there seems just too much to do. After all, this is a side that finished 10th in last season’s top flight. If Chiefs management are serious about having found their long-term coach – and they have certainly thrown their weight and considerable cash behind him – then they need to be prepared for plenty of bumps in the road, and the fans – for now, will just have to grin and bear it.
