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Nasreddine Nabi and Kaizer Motaung Junior of Kaizer Chiefs 16-9GOAL GFX
Seth Willis

Did Kaizer Chiefs make a mistake by letting 'perfectionist, passionate & obsessed' Nasreddine Nabi leave? 'I can compare him with Benni McCarthy'

Kaizer Chiefs
Premier Soccer League
Kaizer Chiefs vs Magesi FC
Magesi FC
Orbit College vs Kaizer Chiefs
Orbit College
Edmilson Dove
B. McCarthy
N. Nabi

The relationship between the Tunisian tactician and the Glamour Boys lasted barely a year despite the former delivering the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup ticket. In his absence, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef took over as co-coaches at least until the end of the ongoing 2025/26 campaign.

  • Kaizer Motaung Jr., Nasreddine Nabi and Bobby Motaung, Kaizer ChiefsBackpage

    Why Nabi was brought to Naturena Village

    The 2023/24 season was the lowest ever for Kaizer Chiefs in the Premier Soccer League as the Glamour Boys ended 10th on the table, their worst finish.

    Nasreddine Nabi, who had had a good run with Tanzanian heavyweights Yanga SC domestically and abroad, agreed to cut short his contract with Botola Pro League outfit AS FAR Rabat to help Amakhosi get back to the top.

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  • Nasreddine Nabi and Edmilson Dove, Kaizer ChiefsBackpage

    What did Nabi achieve in his first season?

    Nabi failed to deliver in the Carling Knockout and struggled to a ninth-place finish in the South African top-tier, meaning for the second season in a row, the Soweto giants failed to qualify for the MTN8.

    But, Chiefs defied the odds to eliminate Mamelodi Sundowns from the Nedbank Cup's semi-final before beating the then defending champions, Orlando Pirates, in the final.

    The triumph ended the Glamour Boys' decade-long trophy drought. 

  • Nasreddine Nabi of Kaizer ChiefsBackpagepix

    The divorce!

    Nabi's men had a blistering start to the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League campaign, winning games in a row. Despite that, six matches into the new campaign, he was let go by the management.

    Reports had it that the owners lost faith in his ability to steer the team forward, but that has not yet been proven.

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  • Edmilson Dove, Kaizer ChiefsKaizer Chiefs

    Did Chiefs make a mistake?

    Benni McCarthy has been linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs to replace Kaze and Ben Youssef, who have struggled to help the club get positive results consistently. 

    Mozambique international Edmilson Dove insists Nabi was just like McCarthy owing to his demands from players in training and matches.

    “I feel like I’ve had so many coaches until I met him [Nabi]. That guy is just a perfectionist, he is obsessed with perfection, and at training for him, everything has to be perfect,” the versatile defender told Soccer Beat.

    “He is passionate about everything he does, you understand? He’s very demanding, and I think for the first time in my career, the only time we trained, I think three times, was under coach Nabi. He was just obsessed with things flowing in the right way; he’s the type of coach that doesn’t choose who he’s coming at if you’re doing something wrong.

    “I can compare him with coach Benni McCarthy because when I was at Cape Town City FC, he was that type of guy, if after the first half you’re having a bad game, he doesn’t have to wait for the game to finish and analyse videos, he will tell you straight. So that’s where they are similar," Dove concluded.