One of local football’s worst-kept secrets is the imminent arrival of Nasreddine Nabi as the new Kaizer Chiefs coach. Here’s all you need to know.
When will Nasreddine Nabi be announced as Kaizer Chiefs coach?
Nabi still has several key dates as the FAR Rabat boss. His side’s final league encounter is on Friday 14 June against FUS Rabat in a capital derby clash. Casablanca faces MCO Oujda on the same night which will determine the destination of the title. FAR also have cup commitments in the Moroccan Throne Cup semi-finals on 23 June and potentially the final on 06 July. However, an announcement could be made as early as Saturday 15 June at the conclusion of the Botola Pro 1 season.
What are the fine details still to resolve?
According to SABC Sport, Amakhosi there are still two barriers to clear for the Chiefs board before they can seal a deal with Nasreddine Nabi. Firstly, they’re waiting for the ongoing Moroccan Botola Pro 1 League to conclude because Nabi’s FAR Rabat still have one more match to play and is still in with a shot of winning the title. Their last match this season is a local capital city clash against FUS Rabat on Friday 14 June. However, they’re a point adrift of Josef Zinnbauer’s Raja Casablanca ahead of the final round. Secondly, Chiefs must still buy out the final year of Nabi’s contract with FAR which expires in June 2025.
“There’s been some developments regarding Kaizer Chiefs’ pursuit to appoint a new coach, and SABC Sport has established Nasreddine Nabi is again the overwhelming favourite for the hot seat,” the report said.
“The public broadcaster has been informed that Nabi is instead head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates, with the previous stumbling block that prevented the Tunisian from joining Chiefs no longer in the way.
“Information gathered by SABC Sport suggests Amakhosi are respectfully waiting for the Botola Pro League to conclude before finalising a deal that will see Nabi become their new head coach,” the report added.
This man is an entertainer at heart but also a winner
FAR Rabat boss Nasreddine Nabi has reiterated his desire to ‘put on a good show’ for the supporters to enjoy and shared the secret to his team’s productivity in front of goal this term. They’ve scored 63 times in 29 matches, 14 more than any other side in the division. This revelation will be particularly pleasing for Kaizer Chiefs fans, who always demand entertaining, attack-minded football. The Glamour Boys only scored 25 times in 30 DStv Prem matches in 2023-2024. That’s an abysmal record that needs to change. Since when did a top side score 0.83 goals per game in their league competition? Not only is Nabi committed to expansive football, but he’s also a proven winner after back-to-back trebles with Young Africans in Tanzania.
When quizzed on FAR’s scoring exploits back in March, he cited two key reasons:
“The first is that we have high-calibre strikers and midfielders who can give the team a scoring boost.
“The second reason is related to the offensive tendency I rely on. I always focus on this approach in my style, and it is a given that I have adopted in my previous experiences.
“Sometimes I even take risks at the expense of the defence, even if that costs me goals because I am looking for scoring, and these goals are what increase the value of matches and the team as a whole, and the display aspect is also important in football,” he concluded.
Fact file
Nasreddine Nabi was born in Monastir, Tunisia in 1965 and has dual Tunisian and Belgian citizenship. Vastly experienced, he’s had head coaching roles in Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Italy, Tanzania and Morocco. Having got to grips with African football, especially in the North, Nasreddine Nabi will have plenty of tactical nous in his toolbox. Amakhosi have been crying out for a man with a CV as impressive as this on the continental stage.
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