Nabi Calls For No Panic
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi appears to be searching for answers as his team continues to struggle for victories in his debut season.
Despite this, the Tunisian coach, appointed during the offseason after Chiefs’ disappointing finish outside the top eight last season, has urged calm and emphasized the need to trust the process.
Nabi witnessed his team suffer a 2-1 defeat to Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
This marked Arrows’ first home league victory over Chiefs at the 2010 World Cup venue, and completed a season double over the Amakhosi.
Arrows had previously defeated Chiefs at the same stadium in January, when Musa Bilankulu and Kagiso Dikgacoi were co-coaches.
“It’s a problem for the team,” Nabi stated when questioned about the team’s struggles, particularly after Dillan Solomons missed a crucial second-half opportunity.
Earlier in the match, captain Yusuf Maart’s casual penalty attempt struck the post, allowing Arrows to escape an early setback.
“I think we need passion with the players, but we don’t have to panic because if you know exactly and understand football, you have some negative points.
“Solomons is not a winger, he is not a striker, he is right back. The problem is not Solomons, the problem, honestly, if you look at the game on Saturday, the game with Richards Bay, it’s same profile of the match.
“We created and controlled the match, and they scored on the counterattack, this is a problem.
“I take responsibility, not the players. But to change the situation, we need two things: first, we need patience and secondly, we need depth.
“If one player is dropped after 16 or 45 minutes, we can change the position. I’m worried if the team play very badly in the game, I’m worried.”
This defeat marks Chiefs’ second consecutive league loss, following their defeat to Richards Bay in Durban before the international break.
Despite the losses, the Soweto Giants remain eighth in the Betway Premiership table with 29 points from 23 matches, two points ahead of 10th-placed Arrows.
