Nabi’s Chiefs look to end 2024 on some kind of high

Kaizer Chiefs will be desperate for some kind of New Year cheer as they host Chippa United tomorrow at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in their final Betway Premiership game of 2024.

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Amakhosi have lost pretty much all of the early-season momentum they gained under new head coach Nasreddine Nabi. A run of one win in seven matches in all competitions has made Chiefs look highly likely to complete a decade without a single piece of Premier Soccer League silverware.

Chiefs in last chance saloon

Only the Nedbank Cup is left as any sort of realistic proposition for Nabi’s men, who already trail Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 15 points.

One of Chiefs’ main problems is in front of goal, where neither Ashley Du Preez nor Ranga Chivaviro have convinced as the main striker.

Chivaviro has just three league goals this season, including a last-gasp equaliser in Chiefs’ last Premiership match against TS Galaxy. Du Preez, meanwhile, has two top flight goals to his name in the current campaign.

“It’s about being calm. Sometimes as a striker … you make up your mind in front of the box and you do what your mind tells you to do,” said Du Preez in a recent interview with iDiski Times, when asked about how he could improve his goalscoring.

“It either works or it doesn’t … for me, it’s about being more calm.”

Amakhosi also have their issues at the back, where they have yet to keep a clean sheet in the Betway Premiership this season.

Rushwin Dortley has impressed since joining this season from Cape Town Spurs, also cementing his place as a starting centre back for Bafana Bafana.

Angolan central defender Inacio Miguel has also done well at times, though he has also already served two suspensions, after accumulating four red cards, and after being sent off against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Goalkeeper conundrum

At least Nabi seems to be sure of his team’s best central defensive partnership. He does not seem certain at all of his best goalkeeper. Chiefs signed Rwandan international Fiacre Ntwari at the start of the season and he started Chiefs first five league games of the season.

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A knock for Ntwari on international duty, however, saw Brandon Peterson get his chance in goal, and in Chiefs’ most recent match against Galaxy it was Bruce Bvuma who got his first start of the campaign.

Nabi could do with starting to find some consistency in selection, as well as results.