Kaizer Chiefs are in the process of major changes as the long-awaited appointment of Nasreddine Nabi as the new head coach looms.
Chiefs first held talks with the Tunisian after he expressed his desire for a new challenge after back-to-back domestic trebles in Tanzania with Young Africans SC in June 2023.
The talks fell through before ever reaching an advanced stage due to their reluctance to provide him with his technical team and they opted for Molefi Ntseki to replace Arthur Zwane in the hot seat, while Cavin Johnson replaced the former Bafana Bafana coach for the Head of Youth role.
Johnson was then roped in as interim coach with results under Ntseki inconsistent, it saw Chiefs end the season with their worst-ever finish in PSL history. It’s been seven months since the search for a new leader of Amakhosi began, and it eventually led back to square one.
And this time, they were willing to meet the demands of the coach, as a delegation travelled to Morocco to discuss terms, as interest was heating up in his services in the Gulf after he led the Botola Pro League for 18 weeks, as reported in iDiski Times edition 157.
While they slipped to second in the final two matchdays, losing to eventual invincible champions Raja Athletic Club, Nabi became a cult hero within the Royal Army club in Morrocco, with a record 65 goals scored in 30 league games and a club record 71 points.
They missed out on the title by one point, which was a new league record set by Josef Zinnbauer’s Raja and with both sides still in contention for the Throne Cup, Nabi will depart for Chiefs after the semi-final on 23 June.
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Major Changes Looming
Chiefs are in the final stages of negotiations for compensation to secure Nabi, with the coach already agreeing personal terms after the club accepted his requests for his coaching staff.
His current assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef, who worked as an analyst with him at Yanga will join as his second assistant, former Mauritania goalkeeper coach Ilyes Mzoughi has already been secured while Majdi Safi, who worked with Wydad and Raja replaces Muzi Maluleke as the strength and conditioning coach.
Talks remain ongoing for a highly experienced assistant coach to cap off the technical staff and another analyst, which will bring the total to six new members of Chiefs’ technical team for the 2024/25 season.
iDiski Times understands talks over a brief warm-weather training camp in Europe are also being discussed for pre-season, with the squad set to report as early as next week for their medical checks.
Sources have previously indicated a striker, left-back and goalkeeper remain among the priority targets for the club in the upcoming weeks, while several players who are out of contract, will have final decisions on extensions or being released in the coming days.
Among the out-of-contract players, Njabulo Ngcobo has already a deal in principle with Sekuhkune United, as he looks to end his three-year stay at Naturena.
Should the final details be concluded this week, Nabi will join his technical team and the Chiefs squad after his final game with the Moroccan giants in the Throne Cup.
Story by Lorenz Kohler (@Lorenz_KO).
