Nabi Shares Thoughts On McCarthy’s PSL Debut
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has given his verdict on what he makes of Aden McCarthy’s senior team debut performance in the stalemate against Sekhukhune United in their Betway Premiership encounter.
While the Soweto giants failed to claim maximum points in Polokwane on Saturday, there was a jubilant spirit as the 21-year-old defender cut his professional teeth on the starting XI. He followed in his father’s footsteps, Fabian, who donned the black and gold jersey between 2002 and 2008.
As a result, Aden and his father became the fifth father-son duo to have represented the Glamour Boys after Chairman Dr. Kaizer Motaung and his son, the club’s Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr., amongst others.
The Tunisian mentor was elated with McCarthy’s display on the day, heaping praise on the starlet for how he rose to the occasion for what was his first-ever taste of top-flight football in his young career.
“Honestly, I’m very happy with Aden McCarthy’s performance because it’s not easy to play in such a game. It’s your first time starting, you have never been to any other Premier League game, and you start and make that kind of performance,” said Nabi.
“There were indeed small mistakes, but we feel that, how he played, his personality, his calmness on the ball, and even defensively he was [coping]. You see that he has a really bright future ahead of him.”
Ahead of their penultimate game, Nabi touched on the injuries affecting his squad, particularly in the defense department. However, the 59-year-old tactician says there is no excuse on Saturday as they are desperate for crucial three points in their quest for a top-eight spot.
“The issue [of lack of personnel] is already there, so as a coach I need to face it and find solutions, that’s why we are here. It’s true that, for example, today [Saturday] we played without a back four, the whole back four that we started with this season,” he added.
“Inacio Miguel, [Bradley] Cross, [Rushwin] Dortley and Reeve [Frosler], all four of them. The next game, we can’t have any excuses; we are going to find solutions, and we will make the best out of the last game.”
Chiefs will host seventh-placed Polokwane City at the FNB Stadium, knowing that a win will prevent the daunting possibility of missing out on a place in the top eight for two consecutive seasons. Amakhosi have accumulated 31 points from 27 league outings.
