Nabi Takes Swipe At Pirates’ Pre-Season

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi appears to have taken a subtle jab at rivals Orlando Pirates, suggesting they were training under the challenging 40-degree Celsius conditions during their pre-season tour in Spain.

While Pirates were in Marbella, Spain, playing four friendly matches in hot weather, Chiefs were in the Netherlands, where they contested five friendlies.

Some of Chiefs’ matches in the Netherlands were played under drizzling conditions, a stark contrast to the clear blue skies Pirates enjoyed in Spain.

However, unlike Chiefs, Pirates secured a win in their final friendly, a 2-0 victory against Granada on Saturday. Chiefs, on the other hand, managed one win in their five matches – a victory over FC Zwolle thanks to a goal from Naledi Hlongwane.

Despite this, Chiefs lost four of their five pre-season games, including their last match against FC Twente, who defeated Amakhosi 2-1.

Despite the results, Nabi praised the club’s overall organization of the trip to the Netherlands. “It was all extremely professional, from the hotel staff to the quality of the opponents. The weather was also amazing, which helped,” said Nabi on the Chiefs website.

Nabi then added a statement, perhaps directed at the Pirates’ camp in Spain, with a clear wink: “Better than training in 40 degrees in Spain.”

Nabi’s upbeat mood likely stems from the fact that his side defeated Pirates to win the Nedbank Cup title last season, ending a 10-year trophy drought and qualifying for the CAF Confederations Cup.

The Tunisian coach expressed satisfaction with his players’ attitude, stating, “We really pushed the guys hard during the training sessions in Holland. It was tough, extremely tough. However, they never complained. Always giving their best. That was inspiring to see.”

After returning to South Africa, the team will have a few more weeks before the league season commences.

“Our camp took place in beautiful surroundings,” Nabi reflected. “The fields on which we trained were in perfect condition, and our opponents were really good. As a result of all this, the pre-season camp was beneficial to everyone.”

He emphasized the importance of a strong foundation: “One of the conditions of having a good season is having a good pre-season – that’s where the foundation is laid.”

Nabi further explained their pre-season strategy: “We didn’t only want quality opponents; we also wanted quantity. Parallel with this, we did some tough physical work at training, even doing double-sessions on the day before a match. We did this to have the players play games feeling extremely fatigued.

“That was not only to prepare the team for the league season but also for the CAF Confederation Cup games, for which we will often have to travel for long hours. That’s when players will have to perform while feeling very tired.

“We even had two sessions the day after one of the friendlies, with the objective of getting the players mentally ready. That’s also why we organized back-to-back matches twice, playing a friendly two days in a row. It allowed us as well to give maximum opportunities to all the players to get minutes.”