Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has reflected on the team’s heavy defeat to Young Africans, his former side, deeming the experience “very unpleasant”.
However, he stressed that the 4-0 loss in the Toyota Cup, a pre-season friendly on Sunday, was more a learning opportunity than a significant setback.
The match, held at a packed Free State Stadium on Sunday, saw Yanga dominate with goals from Azizi Ki, who scored twice, Prince Dube, and Clement Mzize. This encounter marked Nabi’s first game in charge of AmaKhosi on South African soil since his appointment a few weeks prior.
Reflecting on the game, Nabi remarked, “It’s very unpleasant to lose, especially when we were playing at home, but it was a friendly game, and we didn’t lose any points.
“We take it as a learning curve. It was an opportunity to learn the team, its weaknesses, and strengths.”
Nabi suggested that the defeat might actually be a positive in disguise. He emphasized that a win could have generated unrealistic expectations, given that there is still substantial work to be done before the start of the new season in September.
With Chiefs not participating in the MTN8, their 2024/25 campaign will kick off against Marumo Gallants at the same Toyota Stadium in the Betway Premiership on September 14.
“It’s a friendly game, and the result in a friendly game isn’t that important,” Nabi explained. “I don’t want a losing mentality because I am a winner, and I have a winning mentality and winning character.
“I don’t accept losing, but imagine if we won today and people started getting crazy, saying ‘Chiefs are back, Nabi, Nabi,’ and then when the league starts, boom! They start losing. Today, we observed some positive points.”
The coach highlighted that the match provided an essential opportunity to evaluate the team and individual players. He also acknowledged Young Africans’ excellent performance, noting that it offered a clear picture of where the Chiefs stand and what needs improvement.
“We’d like to congratulate Yanga for an excellent performance; they helped us have an accurate picture of the condition of our team. We learned, and I am sure we will be able to improve going forward,” he added.
Despite the scoreline, Nabi remains focused on the bigger picture, using this match as a stepping stone towards building a more cohesive and competitive team for the upcoming season.