Africa-Press – South-Africa. Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine has dismissed speculation he will no longer be with the club after the end of the 2024-25 season.
Nabi, who led Amakhosi to their first trophy in 10 years when they beat Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final last weekend in Durban, was speaking after Chiefs’ 1-1 draw with Sekhukhune United at FNB Stadium on Saturday that left their Betway Premiership top eight ambitions in serious danger.
The result left Amakhosi in ninth place.
The coach denied reports that emerged last weekend that Chiefs’ management had decided before the Nedbank final that he would not continue at the club even if his side lifted the trophy.
“I respect all the journalists but this news is bad for me because it created confusion in my team — it is not professional and the information is not correct,” he said after sharing the spoils with Sekhukhune.
“All of Africa is calling me, thinking I am a free because I am finished with Kaizer Chiefs, and it is not correct.”
The draw with Sekhukhune was not the desired result because it left Chiefs’ top eight ambitions hanging by a thread with one match remaining against Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Going into the last round of the season on Saturday, anyone from sixth to 12th spot can still make it into next season’s MTN8 and Chiefs (31 points from 27 games) have to beat Polokwane to stand any chance.
Among teams the teams battling for the top eight are sixth-placed AmaZulu (34 points from 17 games), seventh-positioned Polokwane (33 from 27) and eighth-placed Chippa United (31 from 28), whose fate is no longer in their hands as they have played all of their 28 matches. Tenth-positioned Marumo Gallants (31 points from 27 matches), ninth-placed Richards Bay (30 from 27) and 12th-placed Magesi FC (29 from 25) are also in contention.
Only 28 games will be played by each team in the 2024-25 Premiership due to Royal AM’s expulsion.
“If you look at the table, this point leaves us with a situation that is going to be resolved in the last minute of the last game. But we are confident because we are playing our last match at home with our supporters.
“Everyone knows how important it is and we would like to send a message to all our supporters to come in their numbers and together we will do it.
“Preparations for this game were not easy for the players after a tough cup final last weekend where they showed big effort.”
Nabi weighed in on the progress of attacker Glody Lilepo, who scored his sixth goal in 18 appearances in all competitions for Chiefs against Sekhukhune since signing from French third-tier side Valenciennes in January.
“We feel he is a player who has not yet reached his full potential because before coming here he spent some months without playing due to difficulties with his previous team.
“Once he reaches his full physical potential and he understands his teammates and has had a good preseason, he is a player that can do more than he has doing now.”
Nabi handed a debut to highly-rated Aden McCarthy on Saturday. The 21-year-old defender has impressed for some time for Amakhosi’s DStv Diski Challenge under-23 team.
“I am happy with Aiden’s performance because it is not easy to play in such a game, there were small mistakes but we feel how he played with his personality, calmness on the ball and defensively you can see he has a bright future.”
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