Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi remained tight-lipped regarding the fitness of Thabo Cele and Inacio Miguel for their Nedbank Cup semi-final clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Stadium on Sunday.

Miguel sustained a late injury during their 1-1 draw with TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership match at Peter Mokaba Stadium last weekend, casting doubt on his availability against Sundowns, who have already defeated Chiefs three times this season across all competitions.

Cele picked up an injury during their loss to Golden Arrows two weeks ago at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The KwaMashu-born defender was substituted before halftime and missed the subsequent match against Galaxy.

“I will answer about Cele and Miguel, but not now,” stated Nabi, facing mounting pressure.

The Nedbank Cup represents Kaizer Chiefs’ last opportunity to secure a trophy, ending what will be a 10-year drought. Their last major title was the league championship in 2015 under Stuart Baxter, while their most recent Nedbank Cup victory was in the 2012/13 season.

Despite emphasizing that his primary focus this season is team building, Nabi did not dismiss the possibility of winning the Ke Yona Cup, acknowledging it would be a significant achievement for the club.

“You say there is a pressure when we lose this game, there is not pressure,” he said.  

“Each game that we play there is pressure inside. But foe me I’m coming, like I said before and I will repeat again, there is a process. The first year [of the two] for the process, we are here to build a team. 

“But when we try to build our team, when we get an opportunity like this one [to win a cup] in the semi final, we’ll try to win this trophy, we will try to play [and win] because it’s for the fans and for the board.  

“This is not a dream, we always play to win a trophy because we’re in a big team, Kaizer Chiefs. 

“Every season in every competition you play, you must win competitions. But like I said, there’s no pressure; we’re here under our process.  

“I think when we discussed [the situation] with the board, we said we’re in a process for two or three years to build our team. 

“But after three years, then we can build our team that can compete in the [CAF] Champions League, for the league, and for the other trophies. But we are under the process like I have said to you.  

“If we get the opportunity to win this trophy and we win this trophy, it will be amazing for us. It will give us more confidence to play for the board, for the fans, for the players, for us also as a technical staff.  

“But if we don’t win this trophy, we have to continue to work.”