In efforts to stick to his own principles as a head coach, Nasreddine Nabi insisted on bringing his own backroom staff, which appears to have cost him the Kaizer Chiefs role ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Amakhosi last week announced Molefi Ntseki instead, demoting Arthur Zwane to being his assistant along with Dillon Sheppard – but not disclosing the length of his contract in the new position. What happened to talks with Nabi, a double treble winner with Young Africans in Tanzania after negotiations reached a deadlock recently?
"To be honest, everything was okay. Chiefs really wanted him – money was not the issue. It was just small details – he wanted to come with his own staff, but the club had plans in that regard. That was the discussion – it didn't happen," a source told Soccer Laduma.
"This was a huge opportunity for coach Nabi. He should have tried to understand where the club was coming from and the expectations from a South African point of view. But he is a principled man."
Chiefs enquired about Nabi while he was still at Yanga and in the final weeks of his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the season. When their talks reached an advanced stage two weeks ago, the Tunisian mentor was unattached following his decision to reject a new deal in Tanzania – this put the Naturena-based outfit in pole position to get him on board.
But the idea of Zwane being part of the technical team rubbed Nabi up the wrong way and collapsed what looked a done deal at some stage.
"Nabi agreed on the salary, image rights, and these things were not an issue. Maybe if he had taken the job, worked for a year, then the club would then have agreed to whatever he wanted in the future," the Siya crew was told.
What are your thoughts on the collapsed deal between Nabi and Chiefs? Let us know in the comments below!
