After securing the Nedbank Cup but finishing ninth in the Betway Premiership during his debut season, Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi faces significantly elevated expectations for the 2025/26 campaign.
Insiders close to the Naturena-based outfit have indicated that with the club competing across four competitions, including African football, management expects a substantial improvement in both silverware and league positioning.
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The sources added that Amakhosi have established clear targets for Nabi's second season, with multiple trophies and continental progress considered minimum requirements.
"The mandate is simple this season. You won one trophy last season. Bring us two trophies this season. Fight for the league title which will help the team qualify for the Champions League next year. That's what the team believes in. They believe that this season the team should be among the top three but the main mandate is to qualify for the Champions League next season. In Africa the club has made it clear that if things are very tough we should at least reach the semi-finals and see what happens after that. Those are the expectations from the club," the Siya source told Soccer Laduma.
Meanwhile, a second insider stated that the club's hierarchy believes these objectives are reasonable given the significant investment in strengthening the squad during the current transfer window.
"They don't feel the mandate is unreasonable because they have the right squad to compete this time around. They are looking at the players they have brought in combined with the ones from last season. They believe they have a squad that can compete in all competitions and that's why they have given the coach the mandate like this. No, it's not unreasonable. It's fair because they signed players in the position the coach needed and has most of the players he would have wanted as well. So that's the mandate for this season from the club," the second insider told the Siya crew.
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Amakhosi have been active in the transfer market, securing signings thus far: Thabiso Monyane, Paseka Mako, Nkanyiso Shinga, Ethan Chislett, Sphesihle Ndlovu, and striker Flavio Silva have come in. The club is still pursuing Cape Town Spurs duo Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman, but there could be a problem due to legal complications, while Mamelodi Sundowns striker Etiosa Ighodaro remains an important target.
Soccer Laduma contacted Chiefs for official comment on these expectations but received no response at the time of publishing.