Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has made a surprising admission, stating that Orlando Pirates are currently the best team in African football. This comes after Chiefs’ 1-0 loss to their rivals in the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Despite the loss, Nabi was impressed with his team’s display, acknowledging that they followed the game plan and showed intention to secure maximum points. However, he identified areas for improvement, including communication and concentration.
“The first thing that I told the players in the changing room was to congratulate them because they followed the plan we had for the game. Obviously, there were some moments where we lacked communication and concentration which led to some opportunities for the opponents,” the former AS FAR coach admitted.
Nabi praised Pirates’ continental form, admitting that it was always going to be a tough task to beat them. “We knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to play a team that is practically at the top of African football at the moment, but we played with belief, with confidence with the DNA of a big club like Kaizer Chiefs,” he said.
“It’s frustrating to lose in such circumstances but there’s a game in three days, we can’t just keep complaining, we need to move on and concentrate for the next game.”
The match seemed destined for a goalless draw until Relebohile Mofokeng was brought down inside the box in stoppage time. Maswanganyi stepped up and calmly slotted home the penalty, sending Bruce Bvuma the wrong way and sparking wild celebrations among the Buccaneers’ fans.
With this victory, Orlando Pirates (30 points) edge closer to league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns (33), who remain three points ahead after 12 games. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs will be left ruing their missed opportunities as they stay in fifth place on the log with 21 points.
Chiefs will face AmaZulu at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, with Nabi expecting a tougher challenge. The team will be boosted by the return of injured players Ashley du Preez, Wandile Duba, and Dillan Solomons.