Nabi hails McCarthy's debut despite Chiefs' draw with Sekhukhune

Aden McCarthy. Photo credit: Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi found a silver lining in an otherwise disappointing afternoon, showering praise on young defender Aden McCarthy following his debut in the Amakhosi's 1-1 draw against Sekhukhune United.

The match, played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday afternoon, saw the son of Chiefs legend Fabian McCarthy step onto the field for the first time in senior colours. McCarthy's inclusion in the heart of the defence came as a result of suspensions sidelining key players Inacio Miguel and Bradley Cross.

Despite the team conceding a crucial two points in their pursuit of a top-eight finish in the league, the 21-year-old McCarthy produced a composed performance.

His solid performance was a testament to his recent training with the first team, a reward for his impressive displays as captain of the Kaizer Chiefs Diski Challenge side, which recently clinched the league title in the reserve league.

While visibly frustrated with the overall outcome of the match, coach Nabi made it a point to highlight McCarthy's promising debut.

“We didn’t start the game well in the first minutes with a backline that played for the first time together,” said Nabi on SuperSport TV after the Sekhukhune game.

“But I think it’s an opportunity to congratulate a player like Aden McCarthy. His first game in the Premier Soccer League, and he performed very well."

Babina Noko drew first blood within the opening five minutes, with Elias Rammala finding the back of the net. However, Chiefs responded in the dying moments of the first half, as Glody Lilepo struck the equaliser.

“...We had a strong character to stay in the game, to stay concentrated, and scoring in the last minute of the first half was a very good moment, which gave us the opportunity to go into half-time with morale and come back stronger," added Nabi.