Nabi: Absence Of Several Players Disrupted Us
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi acknowledged that the absence of key players disrupted the team’s rhythm in their 2-1 Betway Premiership defeat to Marumo Gallants at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
This loss has hampered Chiefs’ aspirations of securing a top-eight finish, causing them to drop one place to ninth in the league standings with 30 points after 25 matches. They are now level on points with Gallants, who have shown significant improvement under the guidance of their Moroccan coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou.
Chiefs were forced to field a makeshift defense, with Bradley Cross partnering Zitha Kwinika in the center-back positions. Regular center-backs Given Msimango and Rushwin Dortley were sidelined due to injury, while Inacio Miguel was rested and started on the bench against Gallants. Furthermore, Gaston Sirino and Pule Mmodi were unavailable due to suspension.
“We were lacking a little bit of our leadership, a little bit of conviction in our actions – both defensively and offensively,” Nabi told SuperSport TV after the match.
“Maybe it was because of the players who were absent, which didn’t provide good balance to the team. We also had several players who were returning from injury.
“We feel that this significantly affected the flow of our game. Additionally, we felt we weren’t very strong mentally because we were missing a lot of simple opportunities.
“We tried to rectify that in the second half. We had an opportunity to score a second goal but missed it.
“After conceding their second goal, we spent the last 15 minutes playing with three defenders, bringing on a second striker to try and add more attacking impetus.
“We created a couple of opportunities but couldn’t score, and unfortunately, that’s the reality of the game.”
Chiefs are now on a six-match winless streak in the Betway Premiership, with their last victory coming against Magesi in early March.
However, Amakhosi don’t have much time to dwell on this setback as they are set to host Orlando Pirates in the highly charged Soweto Derby next weekend at FNB Stadium. This derby match is known for its intense emotions, and a loss would be particularly difficult to bear.
These two Soweto giants are also scheduled to meet again in the Nedbank Cup final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 10 May.
