Kaizer Chiefs’ last major success came under Nasreddine Nabi, who ended the club’s 10-year wait for a trophy by leading them to a 2-1 Nedbank Cup final victory over Orlando Pirates.
The Tunisian coach spent just over a year at Naturena before leaving the club. Seventeen months after Chiefs last lifted silverware, Amakhosi have not reached another cup final and have struggled to make clear progress despite strengthening their squad.
Nabi was unable to solve every problem at Kaizer Chiefs. He struggled to establish a settled starting XI and several players failed to produce their best form during his tenure. However, there were also encouraging aspects to his time in charge.
Shabalala and Duba given a chance
Nabi began his spell with consecutive victories in his first two matches, while his team showed an early willingness to play more attacking football.
Mduduzi Shabalala and Wandile Duba were among the young players to benefit from that approach. Both showed promise and contributed goals, offering supporters the possibility that Chiefs were beginning to move in a positive direction.
That early progress was later undermined by injuries and a downturn in form. As a result, the team could not sustain the momentum it had built during Nabi’s opening matches.
Midfield combinations produced a threat
There were periods when Chiefs looked well-balanced in midfield, with Thabo Cele and Edson Castillo giving Nabi effective options in the centre of the pitch.
Yusuf Maart and Castillo also added to the attacking threat with late runs into the penalty area. Their ability to arrive in the box at the right moment created additional problems for opposition defences.
Set pieces provided another source of danger in some matches. Chiefs were able to create scoring opportunities from dead-ball situations, adding variety to their attacking play.
The team’s inconsistency remained a concern, but those performances suggested Nabi could find effective midfield combinations when his players carried out his tactical instructions.
Substitutions helped secure the cup
Nabi also demonstrated that he could alter a match decisively when his original plan was not producing the required result.
His clearest example came in the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates. The coach brought on Mduduzi Shabalala and Ashley Du Preez, and the changes helped Chiefs overturn the course of the match before they secured a memorable 2-1 win.
Nabi’s decision to start Brandon Petersen in goal ahead of Bruce Bvuma was also vindicated, with Kaizer Chiefs going on to lift the trophy.
The victory was the defining achievement of his time at Naturena. It ended the club’s decade-long wait for silverware and gave its supporters a rare moment of celebration.
Despite that success, Nabi could not build a consistently performing side. His failure to settle on a regular lineup and his inability to get the best from a number of players ultimately limited his impact at Kaizer Chiefs.
