Soon after ending a decade-long trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup for Kaizer Chiefs, there were reports that coach Nasreddine Nabi could potentially be on his way out of the team at the end of the season.
However, in different media interviews, the team's hierarchy downplayed those reports saying that the coach has a contract with the club and that they will look at the whole situation at the end of the season.
As previously reported by Soccer Laduma, chairman Kaizer Motaung Sr. is believed to have asked management to consider rewarding Nabi and honour his current contract.
Now insiders close to the team and privy to reliable information have indicated that the Tunisian-born mentor is not out of the woods yet in as far as his contract is concerned.
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"The issue of the coach is not over yet. He is not yet out of the woods. It's a tricky situation because of the contract but there are negotiations going on about his future. At the moment it's believed that it's not clear. Apparently even after the game on Saturday it still won't be clear. It's like one leg in, one leg out at the moment," the insider told the Siya crew.
A second insider stated that the main point the club is judging the coach on is that they believe they supported him in buying the right players but the results have not been forthcoming.
"Look at the squad the team has. They brought in Gaston (Sirino), Inacio (Miguel), Rushwin Dortley, Thabo (Cele), Lilepo. And the team still struggled. If you look at other clubs who are fighting for the league, they don't have better squads than Chiefs but they are doing better than Chiefs. Why is that? And that's what the club is working on. This is whether to keep the coach or not. Imagine out of 84 points the team could not get points. That's bad considering the players the club has which put the coach's position in limbo," the second insider revealed.
Nabi was recruited from Moroccan side AS FAR Rabat with the main mission of changing the team's fortunes after ending last season in 10th position and 10 years without silverware. Though he led the team to Nedbank Cup glory, they have not performed well in the league where they lie ninth with one game to go.
Amakhosi take on Polokwane City on Saturday at FNB Stadium from 15h00 which they must win to stand a chance to finish eighth.
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Soccer Laduma contacted Chiefs for comment on the issue but there was no response at the time of publishing this story.
This ongoing uncertainty highlights the complex situation facing Amakhosi's leadership as they balance the achievement of ending their trophy drought against continued league underperformance. While the Nedbank Cup success represents tangible progress, the club's historical standards demand consistent results across all competitions. Saturday's season finale now takes on added significance, potentially influencing not just Chiefs' MTN8 qualification but also providing final evidence in the evaluation of Nabi's first season. With continental football secured through their cup triumph, the coming days could prove decisive in determining whether Nabi remains the man entrusted with leading Chiefs' continued rebuild or if the club opts for yet another change in technical leadership.
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