‘I felt that Tashreeq (Morris, pictured), for the minutes that he played, was a constant threat on the opponent’s defence,’ said Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi. Photo: BackpagePix
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has pleaded with his troops to aim for more consistency, given that points will be crucial in the second half of the season.
Chiefs had an up-and-down first half of the season. They missed out on the Carling Knockout and MTN8 trophies, and are fifth on the Premiership log.
Their run in the Premiership has since seen them fall behind in the chasing pack.
They trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand, by 14 points.
Chiefs haven’t had it easy over the past few days. They faced arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby last Saturday and lost 1-0.
They had a three-day turnover on Tuesday night as they hosted AmaZulu at the FNB Stadium, and drew that match 2-2.
The five points dropped by the Amakhosi meant that they closed the first round of 15 matches in the league having only collected 21 from a possible 45.
Nabi, who was making his second successive appearance on the bench in the AmaZulu encounter since getting a red card against Golden Arrows, said that they need to change their approach going forward.
“For the second round of the league, we have to take every game seriously and try to get three points (as much as we can),” Nabi said.
“If we can win matches without conceding goals, that’d be ideal. But the most important thing is to build a complete team that is going to be consistent in getting results.
“The process of building a very good team requires us to be consistent, and be at our best with every passing game.”
Chiefs have laid some good foundations for the second half of the season. They signed Makabi Lilepo, Thabo Cele and Tashreeq Morris during the January transfer window.
The trio all made their first starts against Usuthu, and both Morris and Lilepo were involved in the two own goals that the Durban-based side conceded.
Nabi is happy with the trio’s contribution – especially having Cele and Lilepo made their respective bows against Pirates.
Hence, he believes that they can only get better with time.
Match Highlights❤️✌️#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/11XD0iHmhy
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) February 4, 2025
“About the new signings, we felt that they were good. They (Morris and Lilepo) were involved in the two goals that we had,” Nabi said.
“We believe that Thabo Cele is also a good player. They have done only two or four training sessions. There were matches every two to three days.
“They haven’t had time to train on certain specifics, or understand their partners or be understood. We believe that with more time – when they train better – we’ll work on the pattern.
“I felt that Tashreeq, for the minutes that he played, was a constant threat on the opponent’s defence. We are unfortunate not to score more goals and get all three points.”
The draw with Usuthu was perhaps a justifiable result for Chiefs. After all, AmaZulu co-coach Arthur Zwane had a score to settle with his former employers.
Zwane is a Chiefs legend through and through. Not only did he don the gold-and-black jersey of the club with aplomb, but he was hired as the first team coach for the 2022/23 season.
Next Kaizer Chiefs Match!
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) February 5, 2025
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⚽️Stellenbosch FC vs. Kaizer Chiefs
👕First Team
🗓️Friday 07 February 2025
🏟Athlone Stadium
🕞 19h30
📺SuperSport 202
🎟R70: Webtickets, PnP: https://t.co/aiDAsaGBdc
📢Please come early! #Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome pic.twitter.com/d7XNH4kora
Things didn’t go according to plan for ‘10111’ in the hot seat, though, and he was demoted the following season before Usuthu came calling in the current campaign.
With Zwane having started life together with AmaZulu co-coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi on an impressive note in Durban, Nabi has taken note of their team’s run and their fantastic signings, which include Bongani Zungu.
“We felt that we had more opportunities to score goals than the opponents, who were really good tonight,” Nabi said.
“The team that is built by Zwane is playing good football, and they’ve shown that, especially with the players they signed. But sometimes we feel like we lacked something in the final third.
“Instead of shooting in the final third, we made an extra pass. And vice versa. There was a lack of concentration or reading the game better.”
Chiefs are next in action against Stellenbosch FC at the Athlone Stadium on Friday night (7.30pm kick-off), while AmaZulu will host Marumo Gallants at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on the same day (7.30pm).
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