Nabi calls for Chiefs focus ahead Sundowns clash

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has urged his players to put their recent poor form behind them as they prepare for a crucial Nedbank Cup semifinal showdown against Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday night.

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Amakhosi are without a win in their last four matches heading into the encounter at Loftus Versfeld, having suffered two defeats and recorded two draws.

Chiefs’ only chance

The lucrative cup competition, which carries prize money of R7 million, is Chiefs’ only realistic chance of ending the season with silverware. Nabi is calling on his squad to rise to the occasion against the Brazilians, with a place in the final of the season-ending competition on the line.

“For this game, I’m not only thinking about myself but I’m thinking about the fans and the club. For our players, I think it’s a big opportunity for us to write a new history for the team to qualify for the final and win the cup,” Nabi said during Thursday’s press conference at Nedbank Headquarters in Sandton. 

“The last three games have been very difficult for us because from the beginning, we always have problems against teams that we are normally better than. We discussed with the players what the problem is and how to correct the situation. We had a lot of meetings with the players to analyse the situation. It’s in the past and we’re in a good space now.”

Masandawana are still basking in the success of reaching the CAF Champions League semifinals. They also boast a dominant record against Chiefs, having won their last five encounters against the Naturena-based outfit across all competitions. However, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso gave a diplomatic response when asked about his team being labelled favourites for the big match. 

‘We need to pay strong attention’

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“As we reach the final of the competition, obviously the level of our opponents rises. We’re playing one of the historical and top teams in South Africa,” Cardoso said. 

“We need to pay strong attention to them because we played them in the league and it was a very difficult match. They are a strong team that is well coached and we need to give it our all if we want to win the match and reach the final. We need to push Sundowns to the highest level of motivation and capacity to play and (meet the) challenge that will appear during the 90 minutes.”