Newly appointed Kaizer Chiefs head coach, Nasreddine Nabi, has shared the motivations behind his decision to take the helm at the iconic South African football club.
The former AS FAR Rabat mentor had several offers before taking up the hot seat at Naturena.
Algeria’s USM Alger, Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca and the Tunisia national team jobs were offered to him in recent months. AS FAR were also eager to retain his services despite missing out on the Botola league title and Throne Cup last season.
However, the two-time league winner in Tanzania opted to take the Amakhosi job. Interestingly, Nabi was approached for the Chiefs job in July 2023, but talks collapsed as the two parties could not reach an agreement.
WHY NASREDDINE NABI OPTED FOR KAIZER CHIEFS
Addressing journalists for the first time at Naturena, the seasoned tactician with a proven track record on the African continent, emphasised the unique appeal of the Chiefs brand and the opportunity to contribute to the club’s rich legacy.
“The picture of where the club is supposed to be and where it has been before, and not having a title in a long time is what made me want to come here,” he said.
“I told myself that I need to put the club back to where it is supposed to be. But we need a very real strategy.”
The 58-year-old mentor outlined his strategic vision for initiating the rebuild of the Soweto giants.
“We need to be honest with ourselves and our supporters. I need to look at our quality without emotions. We need to look at what we have currently without being emotional.
“Once we have fully analysed what we have, we will have a strategy for how to drive the club and the team to get where we want to. I do not want to make populist promises and tell the fans what they want to hear. We need to prepare and analyse and take it from there.”
Nabi added that he understands that the fans are “very tired of promises and projects”. “Every start to the season, there have been promises. But we cannot do that.”
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Together with his technical team, he said their aim was to build a formidable side that will compete on the domestic and international stage.
“I am not making excuses not to win titles or anything like that. However, we will fight to win in every game,” Nabi said.
Amakhosi fans will have their first glimpse of Nabi’s tactics and style when Kaizer Chiefs face off against his former club, Tanzanian champions Young Africans, in the inaugural Toyota Cup at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.