Photo Credit - Kaizer Chiefs Media.
Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has ruled out the possibility of the team fighting for Betway Premiership title this season but set a new target of achieving a top four finish at the end of the season.
Under the Tunisian tactician, Amakhosi have been blowing hot and cold this season, and are currently lying eighth on the 15-team league table with 28 points, a whopping 28 fewer than table leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
With the title already looking out of reach, Nabi has now turned his focus on making sure that Amakhosi finishes the season amongst top four teams in order to secure a return to continental football next season. Nabi further said winning the Nedbank Cup will be a good way to conclude the disappointing campaign.
“I have lost too much points, my team, we have lost too many bad points, games where we should have wrapped it up easily,” Nabi told iDiskiTimes. “This has killed us, I understand some fans are not happy about this but I give my apology to that. I am not happy about it either!
“I think we still have an opportunity to get into Africa. This is a challenge, top four, I think it’s possible. Okay week in week out you see us go up, other team go down, next week we go down other team go up. But we’re not far, I’m sure we will come back strong, I have some players who are coming back from injuries, Wandile Duba, Ox Mthethwa.”
He concluded: “The team will go up, I think top four with the possibility for Africa – this would be good for us. Nedbank Cup there’s a chance for qualifying for CAF, but you need to be realistic, we beat Stellenbosch but in the cup it won’t be the same.
“They are a very tough team – but I want us to fight, I want my players to respect the Kaizer Chiefs brand.”
Chiefs will face Stellenbosch in the quarter-final of the domestic competition at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
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