Chiefs reach Nedbank Cup final, easing Nabi's pressure

Nasreddine Nabi, coach of Kaizer Chiefs reacts during the 2025 Nedbank Cup semifinal match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on the 13 April 2025 © Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Monday Apr 14, 2025. 11:00

Kaizer Chiefs advanced to the Nedbank Cup final by defeating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, making a statement for under pressure coach Nasreddine Nabi.

The former Young Africans SC coach has been in the spotlight for Chiefs’ four-match winless run in the Betway Premiership, as well as their inconsistency this season.

Nabi is in his first season with AmaKhosi after assuming the role in July 2024, having joined from Moroccan club AS FAR. The Tunisian coach went to Naturena aiming to improve the team’s performance, but he has faced challenges in consistently achieving positive results.

The Soweto giants currently occupy eighth place in the standings with 30 points from 24 matches. The Nedbank Cup represents their only opportunity to win a trophy and end their nine-year drought this season.

Nabi has consistently stressed the importance of fan patience, explaining that developing a competitive team takes time and quality players, and he anticipates a two-to-three-year timeline for competing for trophies.

He has also addressed his future at Chiefs during this challenging period, maintaining that he has a two-year contract with the club.

“You’re asking if I’ll stay next season, I have to tell you that my contract is for two seasons, but it’s not me who decides, for me, I have a process,” Nabi said.

“The difference between me and how other people think is that they are thinking of results, and I’m thinking of process. If we think like that, we are not speaking the same language; one is speaking French and the other is speaking English.

“As I have said to you, I have a process, and that process is based on how we play, how we give chances to the DDC players. We’re talking about Mduduzi Tshabalala, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Wandile Duba.

“Each game we play, how many chances do we create and how many chances do opponents create? We work with statistics, and if you [journalist] want, you can give us your WhatsApp number and we will send you all the data about the team, then you can analyse and give us solutions for next season,” Nabi added.