Bad Chef? What exactly is Nasreddine Nabi cooking at Kaizer Chiefs as Amakhosi’s struggles continue in the PSL?

The Soweto giants have been generous in giving away three points this season, having lost no less than 11 matches, an unacceptable number for a team of the calibre of Chiefs.

The most recent defeat was a 2-1 loss to lowly  Marumo Gallants, which, under normal circumstances, should have been a shock result, given the quality of the opponent, actually wasn’t much of a surprise.

Chiefs have lost matches against the big teams, but even more disappointingly, they have also been outplayed by some of the ‘smaller’ teams.

As Chiefs continue to battle inconsistency, Nabi now risks equaling or even surpassing unwanted records for the club.

One such record is that of the most defeats suffered by a coach in a single season, currently held by club legend and former coach Zwane.

Under ‘Mangethe’ two seasons ago, Chiefs fell to 12 defeats, although they ended up finishing fifth and qualified for the top eight.

This term under Nabi, Amakhosi are just one loss away from equaling that unwanted record.

And with four matches to go before the curtain comes down on the PSL season, Chiefs can possibly lose more than once and surpass that unwanted record.

A chef typically needs a wide variety of ingredients if they intend to produce the perfect dish, but Nabi seems to be missing a few key spices.

It’s looking like the type of football that the Tunisian has been trying to implement at Chiefs, needs players with better quality and capacity.

From his days at Tanzanian giants Yanga to his spell in Morocco with AS FAR, Nabi has been known to favour positional football mostly.

His teams, though, have always been capable of mixing it up and adapting to every situation in a game.

At Chiefs, his position-based brand of football was evident in the early stages, however, his team slowly started losing that.

Could that mean Nabi currently does not have the kind of players he requires to bring his ideas to life?

Regardless, a good and experienced chef knows how to substitute ingredients and adapt techniques based on what they have available.

Chiefs coach Nabi has admitted that his side has lost its identity, which was evident in the early stages of the campaign.

His team now looks disjointed, easy to break down and lacking any kind of potency going forward.

“Unfortunately, the situation is very bad and we have to accept it, no excuses,” Nabi said after the match.

“The most worrying thing is not the result. We have even lost our way of playing. That is even more concerning.”

Chiefs are next in action when they face arch rivals Orlando Pirates in the first of two meetings within a couple of days.

They confront the Buccaneers first in a PSL clash on Saturday, 3 May at FNB Stadium before resuming the rivalry in the final of the Nedbank Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium on May 10.

With the way Pirates have been playing both locally and in the Caf Champions League, despite their elimination, it suggests that they are strong favourites.

Although the form book often goes out the window in a derby, even the staunchest Chiefs supporter will be concerned with what Bucs will be bringing.

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Kaizer Chiefs

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