Nabi Bids Farewell To Amakhosi In An Emotional Statement
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has spoken out for the first time since his official departure from the Amakhosi, expressing his gratitude and pride in the team he led to their first silverware in a decade.
Nabi, who joined Chiefs during the off-season in 2024, brought an end to the 10-year trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup last season.
Chiefs confirmed his departure on Friday in a statement.
In a heartfelt statement on his Instagram page, Nabi thanked the players, management, and supporters for their support during his time at the club.
“As Salam Aleykum to my players: I could not say goodbye and hug you as I would have wished, but know that I am proud of you and grateful for all the efforts you made during my time at the club,” Nabi stated.
Nabi also had words of encouragement for the young players, saying, “To the young players: you are the jewels of this club. Believe in yourselves, work hard, and learn from every moment. I ask you to dream big regarding your personal careers and to have great ambitions equal to your talent.”
The Tunisian mentor expressed his gratitude to the club’s chairman, Dr. Kaizer Motaung, for giving him the opportunity to wear the gold and black colours and for his support. allowing him
“Thank you to the Chairman, Dr. [Kaizer] Motaung, for allowing me to wear these colours and supporting me. It is indeed an institution that you have built, and I will remain proud for life to have worn the gold and black colours,” Nabid added.
Nabi also thanked the supporters for their loyalty and faith in the team, saying, “To the true supporters: thank you for your loyalty and your faith in this project. Your support was the most important one; you are the true strength of the club. I promised you a very competitive team locally and continental, you are now very close to achieving it.”
The former AS FAR mentor also expressed his appreciation to his technical team, including Safi Majdi and Elyes Mzoughi, as well as the analysts, doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, cooks, and administrative staff.
However, he notably did not mention his assistant coaches, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who will lead the club for the rest of the season as co-coaches.
“Thank you to Safi Majdi and Elyes Mzoughi for the work, your drive, your passion, your loyalty, and your support. It was a pleasure to work with you,” he continued.
“Thank you to the analysts, Yusha, Mark, and Vaughan, for all your efforts and the respect you gave me.
“Thank you to the doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, cooks, administrative staff, etc. You made our work easy daily.”
Nabi concluded his statement by expressing his pride in having worn the gold and black colours and ending the 10-year trophy drought.
“I leave with intact pride of having worn these gold and black colours, of having ended the drought, and of having been part of the greatest club in South Africa. Shapa Khosi Shapaa,” he concluded.
Nabi’s departure comes after a tumultuous few weeks at the club, where he was given special leave due to a family emergency before being suspended following a loss to Sekhukhune United.
The club has since confirmed his departure, with Kaze and Ben Youssef taking over as co-coaches. While Nabi’s statement did not mention his former assistants, it remains to be seen how their relationship will unfold in the future.
