Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has delivered a glowing assessment of the club’s pre-season tour in the Netherlands, highlighting the progress of new signings and the promising emergence of academy talent.
Amakhosi touched down in South Africa on Saturday night after an intensive European camp and have now shifted their focus to the upcoming Toyota Cup final clash against Asante Kotoko, set for next Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
New signings start to click under Nabi
Nabi believes the new signings will elevate the squad’s overall quality. Kaizer Chiefs bolstered their ranks with Nkanyiso Shinga, Ethan Chislett, Thabiso Monyane and Flavio Silva, each featuring in the five matches played during the Dutch tour.
Siphesihle Ndlovu, however, missed the camp as his move from SuperSport United was completed after the team had already departed. Despite this, the Tunisian tactician remains optimistic about all the new recruits.
“They need to fully jell with the group,” Nabi told the Chiefs website. “However, they are all adapting nicely, and they start to understand what I expect from them. Our objective was to sign new players that will bring us to a higher level compared to last season.”
Chiefs young guns shine
Nabi took full advantage of the European tour to assess three rising stars from the DStv Diski Challenge side. Thulani ‘Touch’ Mabaso, Kabelo ‘Festival’ Nkgwesa, and striker Naledi Hlongwane all impressed during the friendly fixtures.
Hlongwane, in particular, stood out after scoring the only goal in a win over PEC Zwolle, the club’s sole victory of the pre-season.
“We don’t want to rush them. 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,” Nabi emphasised.
Nabi embraces challenges and planning
Reflecting on the camp, Nabi praised the high-quality opposition and the intense training schedule which included double sessions, even on match-eve.
“We saw a lot of positives in our training matches against very strong Dutch opponents. The players have started to understand the way I want them to play, and they jell well as a strong unit,” said the former Young Africans boss.
He also lauded the Chiefs’ hierarchy for arranging a professional pre-season in picturesque surroundings with world-class facilities.
“We didn’t only want quality opponents, we also wanted quantity. Parallel with this, we did some tough physical work at training, even doing double sessions on the day before a match.”
Toyota Cup next Chiefs test
Kaizer Chiefs now prepare for the Toyota Cup showdown against Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko. Where fans will likely get their first glimpse of Ndlovu in action. For Nabi, the Durban clash marks a crucial opportunity to continue fine-tuning the squad ahead of a demanding campaign.
Will Nabi thrive at Kaizer Chiefs this season?
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