Crisis at Naturena: Chiefs and Nabi’s imminent separation

In a surprising turn of events, it seems Kaizer Chiefs and head coach Nasreddine Nabi are on the verge of a mutual separation. Nabi will not be travelling with the Soweto giants for their CAF Confederation Cup match in Angola.

Chiefs are set to take on Angolan side Kabuscorp SCP in the first leg of their preliminary round encounter at the Estádio 11 de Novembro on Saturday. However, Nabi’s involvement with Chiefs has come to an abrupt halt.

It is said, the Tunisian coach was informed of Chiefs’ intention to suspend him during a meeting at Naturena on Wednesday morning. The suspension is effective immediately and prevents him from taking part in any team activities, including training sessions.

The decision to suspend Nabi comes just one day after Amakhosi suffered their first defeat of the season, a 3-1 loss to Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday night at FNB Stadium in Soweto. The loss ended a five-game unbeaten streak that had seen the team start the 2025/26 season with four wins and one draw.

NABI’S CHIEFS EXIT IMMINENT AS TRUST IS SHATTERED

Chiefs are expected to release a statement soon regarding the future of coach Nasreddine Nabi, with a parting of ways now seeming inevitable. While Nabi led the club to their first domestic trophy in over a decade last July, his failure to secure a top-eight finish reportedly began to erode the trust between him and the club’s management.

That relationship is now considered completely broken after the bizarre saga surrounding his coaching qualifications. Chiefs were meant to submit Nabi’s UEFA Pro License to CAF in June, but for reasons that remain unclear, they did not.

The recent attempt to suspend him over his credentials, which were quickly proven to be valid, has reportedly pushed the two parties in completely different directions, with sources indicating the relationship is beyond repair.