The sudden departure of Nasreddine Nabi after just one season at Kaizer
Chiefs has prompted a closer look at what went wrong. Despite the club’s
desperate need for a revival, his tenure fell short of expectations. Here
are five key negatives that likely contributed to his exit.
1. Underwhelming League Performance
The primary mandate for Nabi was to improve on the club’s disastrous
tenth-place finish in the 2023/24 season. While a ninth-place finish was a
marginal improvement in position, it arguably represented a step backward in
performance. Amakhosi accumulated only 32 points under Nabi, a decrease from
the 36 points they managed the previous season. This failure to demonstrate
clear progress on the league table made his position untenable.
2. Strained Relationship with Management
The Tunisian coach frequently and publicly attributed the team’s struggles
to a “lack of quality” in the squad, explicitly stating that many players
were not up to the club’s standard. By repeatedly placing the blame on the
management for recruitment failures, Nabi likely created a rift with the
very hierarchy that appointed him. This public passing of the buck would not
have sat well, eroding the trust necessary for a long-term project.
3. The Absence of a Local Assistant
In a league known for its unique intensity, the value of a local assistant
coach cannot be overstated. Unlike his successful counterparts—such as José
Riveiro (with Mandla Ncikazi at Orlando Pirates) and Hugo Broos (with Helman
Mkhalele at Bafana Bafana)—Nabi arrived with an entirely foreign staff. The
lack of a respected local figure like an Ace Khuse or Arthur Zwane to bridge
cultural and tactical understanding likely slowed the team’s adaptation and
his own understanding of the league’s dynamics.
4. Language and Cultural Barriers
Nabi was the first Kaizer Chiefs coach in the PSL era to require a
translator to communicate with his players and the media. This language
barrier inherently creates a distance, potentially delaying how quickly
players internalize tactical instructions and build a strong rapport with
the coach. In a high-pressure environment, this delay can be the difference
between success and failure.
5. Indecision in Key Positions
A hallmark of a struggling team is inconsistency in team selection,
particularly in a crucial role like goalkeeper. Nabi and his goalkeeper
coach, Ilyes Mzoughi, never established a clear number one, oscillating
between Fiacre Ntwari, Bruce Bvuma, and the surprisingly reinstated Brandon
Petersen. This indecisiveness at the back prevented the team from building a
stable defensive foundation and pointed to a deeper uncertainty within the
technical team.
