Nabi Emphasizes Time Needed To Rebuild Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has emphasized that, as the club struggles to achieve consistent results in his first season, rebuilding a team of this stature takes time.

Following a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Richards Bay in the Betway Premiership match at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday, Nabi reiterated this sentiment.

Despite Chiefs dominating possession in the first half, they failed to create significant goal-scoring opportunities. Richards Bay, in contrast, capitalized on their chances, scoring twice from set-pieces and once from a swift counter-attack. This marked Chiefs’ second consecutive league loss to the Natal Rich Boys in Durban, having also been defeated there in April of the previous season.

Although Amakhosi retain a position within the top eight, a visibly dejected Nabi, speaking after the match, stressed the magnitude of the rebuilding task. “We are in the process of rebuilding the team and a big team like Kaizer Chiefs is not built in six or seven months, you need more time than that,” he said. 

Nabi’s arrival at the start of the season followed a campaign where Chiefs finished outside the top eight under the guidance of two coaches, Molefi Ntseki and Cavin Johnson. Both predecessors also highlighted the necessity of rebuilding a club that has not secured a major trophy in nearly a decade.

“But the only thing we know exactly what we need and where we need it is to work to have a better team or better club,” Nabi continued, referencing his team’s recent goalless draw against Cape Town City at FNB Stadium on Wednesday

“It’s not today we are losing and tomorrow we are winning that we are going say the opposite. I must emphasize that we are in the building process, and we know exactly what we need.”