Kaizer Chiefs missed out on the top eight for a second consecutive season and fourth time in total.
A goalless draw at home to Polokwane City that felt like more than just dropped points. It felt like a confirmation of a season where progress and pain walked hand-in-hand. Chiefs finished ninth on the log, officially missing out on the MTN8 for the second consecutive season, and the fourth time in their history.
Finishing outside the top eight simply isn’t good enough for a club rich with heritage like Amakhosi are. But despite the obvious frustrations, coach Nasreddine Nabi remains calm and optimistic.
“To not qualify for the top eight is a disappointment, but that can’t undermine the efforts that the players have put in and what they achieved in winning the Nedbank Cup,” said Nabi.
“It is not every team that can say they have won a trophy this season, so our fans can take some pride in that.”
The Nedbank Cup triumph offered a ray of hope in what was otherwise a patchy campaign. A cup win doesn’t excuse mediocrity in the league, but it does suggest that under Nabi’s stewardship, there’s something worth building on.
Amakhosi were desperate for a result against Polokwane City. They needed more than a draw to sneak into the top eight, especially with Richards Bay simultaneously pulling off a 2-0 win over SuperSport United. That result shoved Chiefs further down the table and out of Wafa Wafa territory.
But Nabi didn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth and was blatant in his responses.
Obviously our standing in the league is not what I think we deserved, and it is not a very good standing,” he admitted. “But on the other hand, it was a difficult season and we managed to win a cup. We managed to get further in the process and now we know what we have to do to go further.”
“I started the season honestly, and I want it to finish that way,” he said. “If you build, it is not possible to get results immediately. I want Kaizer Chiefs to fight for the title every season, that is my objective.”
Chiefs are not a club that will be content with mid-table mediocrity. This is a giant of South African football with one of the most passionate fan bases on the continent, but is Nabi the right guy to lead the Soweto giants? Time will tell if they keep faith in the Tunisian.
