Kaizer Chiefs have recently concluded their pre-season tour in Turkey, returning home with positive feedback from head coach Nasreddine Nabi and his technical team.
In context of the generally favourable impressions of the tour, Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has emphasized that the club is entering a phase of restructuring this season, and also admitted how Amakhosi were targeting the Tunisian coach last year.
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During a media briefing following the launch of the team's new home and away jerseys at the Village in Naturena, Motaung Jr. elaborated on the club's current focus.
"Yes, we had a good trip in Turkey away from home and we did that intentionally so that we can be fully focussed. We started here at home in closed door training for a week then we went to Turkey where we had a good three weeks. We are happy with what we did and achieved there. But this season we are restructuring," Motaung Jr. told journalists.
"We are assessing everything for the good of the team for everyone including the technical team, the players and everyone involved with the team. What we are expecting is to see things change for the good from our coaches to our players and the results as well. So, we are in the process of rebuilding," Motaung Jr. added.
The decision to bring in coach Nabi was part of this strategic overhaul, chosen for his deep understanding of football and his specific philosophy of the game. Over a year ago, Soccer Laduma had originally broken the news that Chiefs were looking to bring in Nabi as their head coach but the club had denied the report. Now, after getting their man and bringing him to South Africa, Chiefs finally admit that they were going for Nabi from last season too.
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"Yes, we wanted him last season and we finally brought him in this season because of his understanding of the game. He has already done research about South African football and he knows what's going on very well and that's the kind of coach we were looking at. We are happy with coach Nabi and the whole technical team that he has come with and we are looking forward to a great season ahead," Motaung concluded.
This period of transition for Chiefs is seen as a crucial step towards revitalising the team and aligning it more closely with the club's long-term objectives. The restructuring aims to enhance performance levels across all areas of the club, ensuring that both the technical staff and players are better equipped to achieve success.
Coach Nabi's first game on South African soil will be a test of the team's progress under his guidance so far. The match is scheduled for Sunday, 28th July, against Tanzanian side Yanga SC in the Toyota Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
