Kaizer Chiefs outclassed by Utrecht as UEFA Europa League side hand Nasreddine Nabi a second consecutive defeat in Netherlands

Kaizer Chiefs have registered yet another pre-season defeat after going down 4-0 to FC Utrecht on Friday at Zoudenbalch Training Centre.

The defeat follows an earlier 2-1 loss that the Soweto giants suffered in their pre-season opening encounter against Vitesse.

Unlike in the game against Vitesse, where they took the lead, Chiefs went down in the sixth minute when the Belgian right back scored for Utrecht.

After the opening goal, the game remained a balanced affair for the better part of the first 30 minutes.

Utrecht came close to doubling their lead in the 33rd minute, but Inacio Miguel made a fantastic block to deny Noah Ohio.

After an ambitious run in the 35th minute down the left flank, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo attempted to beat Utrecht goalkeeper from just outside the box with a powerfully struck effort, but the keeper managed to stop the waist-high shot.

Barely had the second half started when Chiefs conceded the second goal, which was scored by Adrian Blake in the 48th minute.

Things got more complicated for the Glamour Boys when Utrecht scored the third goal in the 55th minute. A backheel from David Min was tapped into the net by Blake as the Dutch club stretched the scoreline quite far for Chiefs.

Utrecht scored the fourth goal later in the second half when Miliano Jonathans found the back of the net after a neat pass from Matisse Didden in the 83rd minute.

Nabi hopes that the pre-season will sharpen his players enough before the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League season begins.

Apart from defending the Nedbank Cup and engaging in the Premier Soccer League, Chiefs have added duties in the next season, given that they will be part of the CAF Confederation Cup.

Amakhosi have conceded six goals and scored just once in the two friendlies they have played, and this is a fresh concern - leaky defence and a struggling striking department - that Nabi must address way before the season begins.

The Glamour Boys will play NEC Nijmegen, PEC Zwolle, and FC Twente Enschede later.

The next games will give Nabi another chance to further assess the fitness level of his players and how far the new ones have integrated into the system.