Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has expressed his frustration over his team’s current poor form, attributing their struggles to a series of injuries that have affected key players.
Indeed, this comes after a 2-1 defeat to Golden Arrows at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium – their tenth Betway Premiership defeat of the season.
The match saw Nduduzo Sibiya open the scoring for Arrows in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a precise assist from Knox Mutizwa. Despite their early setback, Chiefs responded quickly, with midfielder Yusuf Maart scoring the equalizer in the 29th minute after missing a penalty just minutes earlier.
However, it was Arrows who would have the last say. A decisive strike from Mutizwa in the 78th minute sealed all three points for the home side, leaving Chiefs to rue missed opportunities.
Reflecting on the defeat, Nabi highlighted the impact of injuries on his squad’s performance. Key players such as Thabo Cele, who was forced off the pitch at halftime with an injury, have significantly disrupted the team’s rhythm.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa came on in place of Cele, but the disruption continued to hinder Chiefs’ efforts. Nabi’s frustration was evident as he lamented the team’s inability to maintain consistency due to these ongoing injury issues.
He told SABC: “The injury to Thabo Cele in the first half disrupted us a bit in terms of the link between defence and attack.
“The injuries and absences we have are costing us a lot.
“It is a very tough loss and very hard to accept. It feels sad, it puts the club in a difficult position. The fans and the club don’t have joy and it is difficult.”
Nabi added: “We controlled the game in the first half and should have scored in a very good moment. But we did not.
“We felt we didn’t start the second half well but with the changes we made we felt we were coming better into the game. But at the moment we thought we were coming back we conceded a goal from nowhere. After that it was very difficult.
“The moments that were are in a positive environment to score and creating positive opportunities, when we don’t score that costs us.”
With the victory, Golden Arrows moved up to 10th place on the league table with 27 points from 20 games, while Chiefs remained in eighth place, with 29 points from 23 games.