With little time allowed on the training pitch due to the quick turnaround of matches, Kaizer Chiefs Head Coach, Nasreddine Nabi believes his team is better now than when he took over ahead of the season, as they go into their mouth-watering Carling Black Label Knockout Cup quarterfinal against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.

“There is nothing we can do about the schedule but since the start of the season a lot of things have happened; collectively, the team has improved and we are aiming to do better on Saturday,” he told the assembled media on Thursday.

They are still a work in progress and a few bumps are expected along the way. Chiefs have conceded first in last two games. However Coach Nabi was quick to dispel suggestions that the players are anxious, wanting to impress him too much.
“Sometimes players look to the bench when something happens; it’s normal to look to the bench for encouragement. There is a special bond between the technical staff and the players. Everyone knows their role and is committed to fulfil it,” he clarified.

The well-respected Tunisian further elaborated on his perception of the situation in order to give clarity and avoid misguided speculation

“The mission I am here to fulfil has a number of steps, the first of which is to transition to our vision. I am not saying that to cover myself because of the results. It is neither negative nor positive. We have to stick to the objectives and trajectory of the mission. Our long term project is to make Kaizer Chiefs the best team in the country and challenge for trophies,” he explained. “In the meantime, there are steps and we need to go very methodically with what we want to do. We don’t want to create any misunderstanding with our fans. We promise them we are doing everything we can to reach that level as soon as possible. We want to play down media talk that Kaizer Chiefs are a title contender at this early stage. We know where we are coming from and we know where are right now.”

A number of academy graduates played crucial roles in Amakhosi’s comeback on Wednesday night and Coach Nabi is well aware of the importance of nurturing their development.

“Regarding the young players from the academy, the likes of (Wandile) Duba, (Samkelo) Zwane, (Mduduzi) Shabalala, (Mfundo) Vilakazi represent capital for Kaizer Chiefs and there are a critical part of the plan, yet we need to complete the team with experienced players of quality to help the youngsters grow and raise the level of the team. That doesn’t mean we want to put some players aside and bring new ones in; we are looking for a good balance of experience and youth,” he said.

Coming into a match against a formidable opponent, Amakhosi have only kept one clean sheet all season, yet Coach Nabi swiftly moved to raise his back line for limiting opponents to very few opportunities.

“It is normal in football to concede goals. Magesi also scored twice against the league leaders in their previous game. Statistically, we have made more chances than our opponents in all our games except probably against Mamelodi Sundowns,” he said, adding, “Our opponents have scored with the few chances they have created. That shows that overall our defence has been doing good work, but we cannot hide from the fact that there is room for improvement in that area.”

Looking ahead to Saturday, Coach Nabi said, “If you remember the last time we played Sundowns, I feel it was a very good game of football with a lot of entertainment, technically, tactically from both sides. We believe Saturday’s match will be just as, if not more, entertaining for the supporters. Both teams are going to give everything to win. Mamelodi Sundowns have been one of the biggest teams in Africa in recent years, but that doesn’t take away the fact that we are Kaizer Chiefs and we are coming into this game with a lot of confidence. We will do our best to go through.”

The match kicks off at 18:00 on Saturday, 2 November at the FNB stadium.