Nabi: We Made Right Signings
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi is confident that the club made astute signings during the January transfer window and that these players will adapt to his methods, given the profiling done on them.
Chiefs, who have been inconsistent this season, signed Thabo Cele, Tashreeq Morris, and Glody Makabi Lilepo to strengthen their squad for the second half of the season.
Morris is suspended and will miss the highly anticipated Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Saturday (15:30). He was sent off while playing for his previous club, SuperSport United.
Makabi Lilepo’s work permit may not be processed in time for him to feature in this historic match.
Cele’s situation is clearer, and he is likely to be part of the Amakhosi squad on Saturday, as he does not require a work permit for registration.
“We firmly believe that we made smart recruitment without bringing names that have lots of ring bells around them,” said Nabi.
“But these are the players we analyzed, we know what they are capable of and we know how they can fit in our game model and we just hope that they will take as much time to adapt as possible, and we are pretty sure that we have made right signings.”
Nabi has repeatedly emphasized that this is a project in progress and that patience is required from everyone involved. However, Saturday’s game, a massive rivalry between two of South Africa’s top teams, with tickets sold out weeks in advance, could put pressure on him if Chiefs lose.
Many, observing Pirates’ form, predict they will beat Chiefs, having won the last three derbies.
While Nabi maintains that he is still building the team, he understands the importance of the Soweto Derby.
“It is true that it is a very important game for the technical staff, players, management, and fans,” said Nabi. “That is why we are doing everything in our power to ensure we are in good condition for the game. As you said, the atmosphere around the derby is different. But we prepare every game with seriousness. For the game against Free Agents (in the Nedbank Cup round of 32), we did thorough analysis. Even on the field, we tried everything we could to get good results, and we did.
“It is true that we are in a process, but we don’t want to hide behind the process and not give our best, especially in a game like the derby. That is why we are confident that we are in a good space to deliver a good performance on Saturday.”
