Nasreddine Nabi apologises for Carling Knockout 'accident' at FNB, promises to lash out his players and demands learning from Mamelodi Sundowns - 'They looked nervous'

Kaizer Chiefs reeled out of the Carling Knockout following a 4-0 quarter-final defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

It was a one-sided affair which saw the Soweto Giants no match against Masandawana.

Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has made a confession that his men were nervous and not up to the contest of such magnitude.

“I would like to apologise to our fans, because we were not good, in any way, defensively and in both boxes," said Nabi as per SuperSport.

"It was a day without any chances and for that we apologise to our fans that are disappointed after the result, but we can promise them that we are going to work harder to make the team better, to improve the team. We knew that the team was not as ready as people would think, but this result was an accident that we believe will not happen again in the future.

“The players were not good enough, but the responsibility is mine. As coach, I’m going to take full responsibility for the game, because I don't want to criticise my players in front of media, but I will do it inside the change room. 

“Everyone will take his responsibility and but I believe that it's true that they were far from their best performance, because even at the beginning of the game, they looked very nervous, with a lot of missed passes, a lot of balls lost and so on," the Tunisian added.

“Sundowns is a very good team with a lot of experience, but we believe that our players learn when they play against teams like this. Sometimes they make mistakes, but it doesn't make sense when you play against such a big club and in such a big atmosphere, then to be scared and to try to play a game that you’re not used to. 

“It's with these kind of games, these kind of performances, that the young players are going to learn and are going to improve. We have chosen the way to play, based on the players that we have and to use their technical abilities. They are young, but they are skilful," he continued. 

“Another thing is those young players need experienced players to help them to grow, and that is an area that we need to work on in the future.”

Saturday's result could unsettle Nabi and his men going forward and upset their redemption bid.

Following failure to participate in the MTN8 as well as Carling Knockout elimination, the Soweto giants are now left with the Premier Soccer League, and Nedbank Cup to play for this season.

That limits their chances of winning their first piece of silverware since 2015 when they lifted the PSL title.

The Soweto giants will now have a long break before they return to competitive action.

They will only be back on November 27 when they host Richards Bay hoping to use the lengthy break to put their house in order although it could also kill the players' match fitness.