Kaizer Motaung Jr, Football Director (left) and Bobby Motaung, Football Manager (right) at the FNB Stadium. Image: X.
Kaizer Chiefs management admit mistake with Nasreddine Nabi coaching snub?
Kaizer Chiefs opted against appointing Nasreddine Nabi as their head coach, with Molefi Ntseki getting the job instead, and it seems like they have come off worse for it.
Kaizer Motaung Jr, Football Director (left) and Bobby Motaung, Football Manager (right) at the FNB Stadium. Image: X.
It is no secret that Kaizer Chiefs were close to appointing Nasreddine Nabi as their coach ahead of the season.
In the end, it was not to be, as Chiefs and Nabi failed to agree on the make up of his coaching staff.
Nabi would’ve replaced Arthur Zwane, but that task was instead given to Molefi Ntseki. To the majority of the Chiefs fan base, Ntseki was already an unpopular appointment, with no positive track record. Prior to taking over the first team reigns, he had never coached a senior professional side. He did, however, coach Bafana Bafana after Stuart Baxter, before being fired for failing to qualify for AFCON 2021. The duo reunited as part of a new structure at Amakhosi, which put him in charge of football development.
Ntseki did not last long as Chiefs coach, however, being sacked before even the halfway mark of the season. This came after an unconvincing start to the campaign which also saw them knocked out of two cups. After being relieved of his duties, the club appointed Johnson to take over on an interim basis. Coincidently, Cavin Johnson also came into the club in a developmental role, before being asked to steady the senior ship.
A run which saw Chiefs winning three of their last four games of 2024, saw Johnson in with a shout. But now according to the latest, the club are back looking at other candidates. Now as per Soccer-Laduma, Amakhosi’s new coaching conditions seem to suggest they have learnt from Nabi’s situation.
Chiefs set to learn from Nabi negotiations?
“Things have changed now. Last time the club (Chiefs and Nabi situation) wanted only the coach as they wanted to keep the same assistants and other members on the technical team. But now they are open to a coach who is willing to bring his own backroom staff. You know other coaches want the work with people who understand them. In the past the club lost out on a coach because of that. But as they prepare to appoint the next coach they have flexed those conditions and the coach is free to bring his own technical team. But it will be with a limited number. Some of the technical members in the current team could still be retained depending on who the new coach brings,” said a source to the publication.
With Nabi fighting for the Moroccan topflight title and Chiefs struggling under their second coach one can only imagine what could’ve been.
