Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi explained that defender Rushwin Dortley experienced discomfort, prompting the team to avoid risking his participation against Magesi.

Dortley, who joined from Cape Town Spurs during the off-season, was absent from the Chiefs’ squad that secured a 1-0 victory over Magesi in the Betway Premiership match at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.

This absence may raise concerns for Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who included the left-sided defender in his preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.

Notably, Dortley played the full 90 minutes in Chiefs’ 1-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns over the weekend.

Despite missing the Magesi game, Nabi confirmed that Dortley will be available for the Nedbank Cup quarter-final against Stellenbosch this coming weekend at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“It was simply a matter of discomfort; we didn’t want to take any risks,” Nabi stated. “He will be back for the next game.”

The 22-year-old defender has been a consistent presence for Chiefs, appearing in 21 matches across all competitions, including 18 league appearances.

The win against Magesi keeps Chiefs in eighth place on the Betway Premiership table with 28 points from 20 matches.

“In the first half, we were not good at all,” Nabi reflected after the game, referencing the team’s 2-2 draw with Magesi in the reverse fixture in Limpopo. “It was probably due to a lot of changes that we had to make regarding the availability of the players. But in the second half, we were little better in a lot of areas of the field. 

“But in these kinds of games, the biggest thing is the three points.”