Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi was left fuming when quizzed why clubs with inferior squads finished above them in the 2024/25 league table.
The Amakhosi coach was visibly incensed as they missed out on the top eight on the final day of the season with a 0-0 draw to Polokwane, as Richards Bay all but mathematically secured the final MTN8 spot for next season.
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But Nabi was having none of the notion that they played better football or were better than the Soweto giants, suggesting that their style of football implemented can never be used at Chiefs just for the sake of winning games to qualify for the top eight spot.
“This question doesn’t only come from you [that Chiefs have a better squad than most], it comes from too much people, they don’t understand the process of developing [the team], I think… I remember we explained, if you want immediate result, what football proposes this team? It’s a bus 80 meter and counter attack,” he said.
“You imagine Chiefs playing like that in Africa? But Polokwane finish better and in the top eight but with what football? You want this football for Chiefs? For myself I know I came here for a model game what is needed at a big club at Kaizer Chiefs.
“I know we took a risk in defence, but I prefer to win the principles of the game, offensive, protagonist, philosophy of Kaizer Chiefs, like do you want to be in the top eight but we will play Zamalek, Wydad with players 80m [away from goal] would you prefer this as a fan of Chiefs?”
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Nabi went on to ask the journalist if compromising their plan with defensive and direct football should be the answer to finish above the table and that media has divided the fans on their project this season, where he feels they have been tasked to build a succsseful team with a clear indenitity of entertaining and attack-minded football, which is a system of risk taking.
“Don’t smile, respond to me? In your role of a journalist don’t confuse the fans, because you are a professional, you love football, you love beautiful football, explain to fans, Nabi came here for a game model, offensive because Kaizer Chiefs is a big, it’s not possible for Nabi to put the train or the bus in the 18m [area] and play counter-attack.
“Explain there, why are you asking me that other teams are top eight, better than [Chiefs]… Stellenbosch is not better than us, they are number three, why I beat them three times, why did I beat Sundowns, Orlando Pirates? With offensive football. Put me on the plane, you want this football??”
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