Football administrator Senzo Mbatha has suggested that Nasreddine Nabi’s
tenure at Kaizer Chiefs could have been smoother with the right local
support, following the coach’s recent departure from the club.
Nabi’s time with the Soweto giants, which lasted just over a year, came to
an end early in the new season. His stint will be remembered for ending the
club’s decade-long trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup in May.
However, consistent league struggles—with Chiefs finishing outside the top
eight for a second consecutive season—ultimately led to his exit.
Reflecting on the challenges Nabi faced, Mbatha, who worked with the
Tunisian coach at Young Africans in Tanzania, pointed to a key missing
element.
“I just believe he needed a local person who understood the club better and
somebody that could be his confidant,” Mbatha stated in an interview with
the South African Football Journalists’ Association.
While acknowledging the intense pressure at a club like Chiefs, where
results are paramount, Mbatha addressed rumors of a fractured relationship
with the squad. “We’ve listened and heard some mumbles around him losing the
dressing room… I cannot confirm those,” he said. “I just believe he needed
that type of support for him to be able to do well.”
Mbatha concluded that with such support, the outcome for Nabi at the helm of
the demanding club might have been different.
