Chiefs coach Nabi sees positives despite Toyota Cup loss

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi expressed satisfaction with his troops’ overall performance, even after a penalty shootout defeat to Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup on Saturday afternoon.

The match, held at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, ended goalless after 90 minutes before Kotoko secured a 3-2 victory on penalties.

Despite the loss on a challenging pitch, Nabi highlighted the valuable insights gained from the game in his post-match interview on SABC Sport.

“I think it was a game that was very instructive with the performance, we came with a lot of answers with what we have been working on and what we need to do going forward, it was a positive performance overall,” said Nabi.

Nabi acknowledged the missed opportunities to win the match in both regulation time and the shootout. “We had the opportunity to win the game, but during the game, we missed it. We had the opportunity to win the game on penalties, but unfortunately, we missed it. We wanted to finish by offering our supporters the victory and end the day with joy. But unfortunately, on penalties it can be unpredictable,” he explained.

The coach also noted significant improvements in the team’s physical conditioning, attributing it to their pre-season training in Europe. With the domestic season fast approaching, Nabi emphasised the importance of refining their play in the final week of pre-season.

“The support was very positive, we’re going in the right direction from the physical side. We’re in the last week of pre-season, we know the negative points, for this game was very important for us to see that,” added the former Yanga SC coach.

“Where the problems are, where the quality is, and we’ll push to improve the quality and correct the negatives. But I am satisfied with some points today.”

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🎙️ Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi’s reaction following their #ToyotaCup match against Asante Kotoko!

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— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) July 26, 2025