Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi believes his charges showed great confidence in the defeat to Orlando Pirates but admits the result was frustrating.
Amakhosi suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Pirates in a fiercely contested Soweto Derby at a packed FNB Stadium.
The match was decided in stoppage time when Patrick Maswanganyi converted a Panenka-style penalty, sealing the victory for the Buccaneers.
Despite the loss, Nabi expressed pride in his team’s performance. He acknowledged the disappointment but emphasised the importance of moving past the setback quickly.
“We played with belief, confidence and with the DNA of a big club like Kaizer Chiefs and that’s why it is frustrating to lose in such circumstances,” said Nabi.
“But there is a game in two days [against AmaZulu at the same venue tomorrow], and we can’t keep on complaining but we must switch our focus to the next game.”
“We want the players and supporters to be positive and I promise them that Kaizer Chiefs will bounce back. We lost this game but I feel there were a lot of good things about the team.”
“I firmly believe that it’s not the game we deserved to lose. On the balance of play, a draw would probably have been a fair result.”
The match also marked the debuts of Thabo Cele and Glody Lilepo, who joined the squad early last week. Nabi was pleased with their contributions, especially given their limited time to train with the team.
He added: “I am happy with the progress of my team, over the past five to six months the team has progressed with this project. Mentality has changed in the team when you compare to last season.”