Kaizer Chiefs lost the Toyota Cup 4-0 to Young Africans and ended up finishing ninth on the log last season. Could this year’s defeat be a sign of things to come?
Amakhosi were edged 3-2 on penalties by Asante Kotoko in this year’s edition of the Toyota Cup, but despite the loss, the coach, Nasreddine Nabi, is confident that Chiefs will challenge for trophies and there will be no repeat of what happened last season.
“We came up with a lot of answers in terms of what we have been doing (in pre-season) and what we need to do going forward. It was a positive performance overall,” he said after the game.
“I am very positive we are going in the right direction. We have done the physical work. Now we are in the last two weeks of the pre-season. We know our negative points. It is very important for us to look at where the problems are honestly, and at where the quality is.
Nabi’s charge ended the decade-long trophy drought after winning the Nedbank Cup and returned to continental football as the win booked their spot in the CAF Confederations Cup. This adds to their schedule in a crucial rebuilding phase, and it remains to be seen whether they will sink or swim.
The Tunisian coach said the pre-season camp in the Netherlands was designed to prepare them for the busy schedule ahead of the season.
“We did this to have the players play games, feeling extremely fatigued. That was not only to prepare the team for the league season, but also for the CAF Confederation Cup games, for which we will often have to travel for long hours. That’s when players will have to perform while feeling very tired,” Nabi said on the club’s website.
“We even had two sessions the day after one of the friendlies, with the objective of getting the players mentally ready. That’s also why we organised back-to-back matches twice, playing a friendly two days in a row. It allowed us as well to give maximum opportunities to all the players to get minutes.”
The Glamour Boys made a number of signings in a bid to strengthen their squad. Nkanyiso Shinga, Thabiso Monyane and Flavio Silva were on the starting lineup when Chiefs fell short to Asante Kotoko.
Shinga and Monyane were praised for their impressive showings, while Silva showed signs of improvement from his performances during the friendlies in the Netherlands.
Youngster Aden McCarthy, who recently got promoted from the club’s DDC team, fitted like a glove in the left-centre back position. His pairing with Inacio Miguel promises to bring stability to Amakhosi’s defence, which conceded 32 league goals last season.
Other academy graduates who were part of the tour included Thulani Mabaso, Kabelo Nkgwesa and Naledi Hlongwane. Nabi said they will be patient with the rising stars and are willing to grant them a chance to prove themselves.
“We don’t want to rush them,” the coach explains, “however, I am always willing to give maximum opportunities to young talents. If you are good enough, you are old enough to play. That’s my philosophy.
Chiefs will kickstart their Betway Premiership campaign on 10 August against Stellenbosch FC. They last lifted the league trophy during the 2014/15 season. Nabi said their objective is to win all the competitions that they are partaking in.
“We’re not approaching this season with the mindset of only chasing the league title. Every competition matters, and our strategy is to take it one match at a time.”
“The goal is to give our best every game. Maybe we’ll win every match, maybe not – but the most important thing is to fight with everything we’ve got each time we step onto the pitch,” he concluded.