Kaizer Chiefs and Nasreddine Nabi discuss compromise

The Glamour Boys have decided to replace their beleaguered incumbent Arthur Zwane ahead of the next season, and his Tunisian counterpart remains the club’s top target for the hot seat. 

As reported recently by the public broadcaster, Chiefs have followed up their inquiry about Nabi with a series of meetings to discuss what his future with the Soweto giants would look like should he agree to take over. 

Nabi is keen, even more so after rejecting a new contract with Tanzania side Young Africans, where he won an impressive six trophies in two years and reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup last month. 

Yanga lost to USM Alger, but just a week ago their fans flooded the streets of Dar es Salam to celebrate a second successive treble. 

This has also wet Chiefs’ appetite to try to pin Nabi down to relocate to the Premier Soccer League (PSL), but there has been a hurdle over his technical team – Chiefs initially wanted Zwane to still be part of it. 

According to sources, Chiefs have now told Nabi he can bring up to two members of staff and are leaving it to the coach to decide in which department. 

With the club appearing to back down on Zwane being with the senior team, Amakhosi do still have Dillon Sheppard under contract for one more year and will need to confirm his new role should Nabi be appointed. 

Sheppard joined Chiefs in September 2021 as an assistant coach to Gavin Hunt and kept the same position when Zwane was elevated. 

Chiefs also hired goalkeeper Aubrey Mathibe in April last year, although the club did not announce the length of his contract at the time. 

There’s a feeling in Naturena that the latest round of talks could bring Amakhosi closer to agreeing on terms with Nabi before the squad returns for pre-season as well as prior to the new kit launch with Kappa. 

But whether Nabi feels the same, now that he has to compromise and consider who he picks to join him in SA, remains to be seen.