They have not kicked an official ball but it appears Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi is going to build the plane while flying it.
If Nabi had any doubts about the magnitude of the task facing him at Amakhosi, they were quickly dissipated during the embarrassing 4-0 preseason friendly thrashing by well-drilled Young Africans (Yanga) at the Free State Stadium last weekend.
It would be unfair to suggest the club is already in crisis mode but they look fragile, have a weak and imbalanced squad that lacks star quality, and they don’t have a strong leadership group.
Fans are divided, actually fighting among themselves on social media, and there are big-name former players who at times heavily criticise coaches and players publicly.
Nabi and his technical team, who are still learning about the country and local players, don’t have someone on the bench with intimate knowledge of the domestic game to help them navigate through the complicated South African football terrain.
Nabi’s technical team consists of assistant coaches Ben Khalil Yousseff and Fernando da Cruz, goalkeeper coach Mzoughi Ilyes and conditioning coach Safi Majdi.
With less than two weeks before the start of the Betway Premiership on September 14, Chiefs’ sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr has said the cheque-book is not closed but it’s anyone’s guess what type of quality can be added to the squad.
The scoreline in the defeat to Young Africans was glaring.
A close and analytical look at that match reveals deep-rooted technical and tactical problems that could mean Amakhosi enter the coming season weaker.
Against Yanga, Chiefs tried to build from the back, with goalkeeper Brandon Petersen the initiator by laying the ball to central defenders Thatayaone Dithlokwe and Given Msimango. But it did not work properly because they didn’t have an outlet in the midfield to help them come out of the build-up, someone who will play the role played by Rodri of Spain during the 2024 Euro Championship.
The other area that needs to be sorted out is left-back and this brings new 22-year-old signing from relegated Cape Town Spurs, Rushwin Dortley, into the discussion. But he’s a left-footed central defender and can do the fullback job until Nabi finds a regular left-back of high quality.
A coach with vast PSL experience, who did not want to be named, broke down some elements of what seemed to be revealed against Yanga. “I did not see a routine movement of players that worked and that was my observation of them trying to play from the back,” he said.
“If you were to look at possession percentages, you will see that the Chiefs goalkeeper and centre backs had more possession than any other player on the field but they didn’t use that possession positively.”
Combinations may change going forward but it was evident against Yanga that they were not effective in the midfield because either Yusuf Maart or Samkelo Zwane often played too close to the central defence.
If you were to look at possession percentages, you will see that the Chiefs goalkeeper and centre backs had more possession than any other player on the field but they didn’t use that possession positively
The lack of consolidation in the midfield affected their ability to properly play from the back; their other deficiency was that they played too many square and back-passes that did not hurt the opposition.
This was largely because they could not break the organised Yanga midfield and defence who have amassed experience in the Champions League, where they reached the quarterfinals last season.
Another glaring tactical issue of concern for Amakhosi is that they don’t look to have a dominant No 10 in the mould of Khama Billiat or Keagan Dolly in their prime, when they used to impose themselves and dominate matches.
Nabi tried Mduduzi Shabalala in that role last weekend but he was forced to drop back too deep because of Yanga’s dominance in the midfield, where Khalidi Aucho, Aziz Ki and Maxi Nzageli operated.
In modern football, the No 10 role is crucial because the player must have presence, and a big part of the job is to provide creativity and energy, and Shabalala was sometimes found wanting in such areas when it matters most.
Nabi seems likely to also try Gaston Sirino, who is believed to be on the verge of concluding a move to Naturena; Nkosingiphile Ngcobo; inexperienced Nkosana Mbuthu or even Lehlogonolo Matlou or Pule Mmodi in the creative position to provide the much-needed spark.
There are unanswered questions in attack as, from last weekend’s match, Ranga Chivaviro battled to penetrate the experienced Yanga defence marshalled by Ibrahim Abdullah and Dickson Job. Chivaviro found himself isolated and for most of the match had to drop deep — and he operated with his back to goal. That played into the hands of the Yanga defence.
Looking closely at the Chiefs squad, they have only Christian Saile as the other fully recognised striker in their arsenal, and his style is not too different from Chavaviro’s, though he can run at defenders and packs a lethal shot.
Nabi put on a brave face after the heavy preseason loss by saying he learned crucial lessons from a match in which he did not have to worry about dropping points.
But he now surely has a better understanding of the scale of the job he has.
Hard decisions Nabi will have to take in the 2024-25 campaign include appointing a strong leadership group, deciding on a first-choice goalkeeper, style of play, how to effectively use Sirino, and whether Chiefs are going to have a South African on the bench which can be crucial from a cultural adaptation and communication perspective.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.