Miguel Cardoso aims pointed Nasreddine Nabi dig at Kaizer Chiefs technical team

Miguel Cardoso has risked the wrath of the Naturena faithful by claiming Kaizer Chiefs have become a “lesser” threat since the departure of Nasreddine Nabi.

In a scathing tactical assessment following Mamelodi Sundowns‘ bruising 1-1 draw with Amakhosi on Wednesday in the Betway Premiership, Cardoso suggested that the “fear factor” has vanished from the Soweto giants’ game. Despite Chiefs leading for a large portion of the midweek clash at Loftus Versfeld, the Portuguese coach insisted he felt far more comfortable facing the current Kaze-led side than he ever did against Nabi’s cup-winning outfit.

‘More dangerous’ – Cardoso taunts Kaizer Chiefs over ‘lost’ identity after Nabi exit

🚨 “ℕ𝕒𝕓𝕚’𝕤 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙.”

Miguel Cardoso believes Kaizer Chiefs have lost some of their “dangerous” edge.

Comparing the current side to last season’s squad under Nasreddine Nabi, the Mamelodi Sundowns coach claims… pic.twitter.com/CQqlpuDvuG

— Mthokozisi Dube (@dube_mthoko) May 7, 2026

Cardoso’s comments will likely be viewed as a pointed dig at the current technical duo of Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef. Under Nabi, Chiefs famously broke their ten-year trophy hoodoo, but Cardoso believes the tactical edge that brought them that success has been blunted.

“I think last year with coach Nabi, we saw a much more dangerous Kaizer Chiefs than we saw this evening,” Cardoso said, effectively questioning the progress made at Naturena over the last eight months.

“Last year, the two matches we played against them, they were able to cope [in transition] much better than today. We took control of the game; there was a lot of respect for us, and I’m happy about that. But last year, I think they were stronger with how they tried to counter-attack us.”

Mind Games or Harsh Truth?

The timing of Cardoso’s critique is no accident. With Sundowns dropping two points and leaving the door ajar for Orlando Pirates to snatch the Premiership crown, the Masandawana boss appears to be shifting the narrative away from his side’s stumble and onto the perceived decline of their rivals.

While Chiefs managed to walk away with a point, Cardoso’s assertion that they showed “too much respect” serves as a biting reminder of where he believes the power balance currently lies.

For a club of Chiefs’ stature, being described as “easy to control” by a rival manager is perhaps the ultimate insult—one that will surely sting as they reflect on a night marred by rugged tackles and a missed opportunity to truly hurt the league leaders.