Despite a disappointing league finish, a high-profile coach appears to have secured his immediate future at Kaizer Chiefs, with management placing faith in his project despite divided opinions behind the scenes.
Amakhosi finished outside the top eight for the second season running, but they won the Nedbank Cup after beating Orlando Pirates under the guidance of coach Nasreddine Nabi in his first season at the helm.
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People have been having different opinions concerning the coach and his future at the club where he signed a two-year contract with another one-year option to extend it.
Now a reliable insider with regular access to Chiefs' discussions has indicated that despite finishing ninth in the Betway Premiership, Chiefs have placed their trust in the Tunisian-born mentor to finish his term and take the next step after that.
"For the club, although there are different opinions between members of management and the board on whether the coach should be given another chance, it was clear they wanted him to stay. You remember I told you before that the coach will join the pre-season in Europe? It's apparently believed that the management led by the football department headed by the Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Junior are seeing progress with the coach and that's why it's believed be will still be here next season," the insider told the Siya crew.
Initially, the Amakhosi insiders had indicated that Nabi will be going on the European tour ''for now'' but the latest feelings on the Tunisian coach represents a higher level of support.
Meanwhile, a trusted Naturena source with intimate knowledge of the club's contract structures stated that the one-year extension option on his contract will only be decided at the end of the 2025/26 season.
"For now he is safe for the next season. They are believed to be looking at giving him what he wants to build the squad and that he wants them to judge him after that. And depending on what will happen at the end of the season they will then look at the one-year option. But for now, the main focus is on this coming season. So, for now, Nabi is still the coach at Kaizer Chiefs," the second insider told Soccer Laduma.
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The Tunisian-born mentor joined Amakhosi at the start of the 2024/25 season and despite failing to qualify for the top eight, the former Yanga SC coach won the Nedbank Cup which was Chiefs' first silverware in 10 years.
The decision to back Nabi despite the league disappointment suggests the Chiefs hierarchy values the cup success and sees potential in his methods. With the European pre-season tour approaching, the coach will likely be focusing on building a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts next season. Having broken the decade-long trophy drought, expectations will be significantly higher for Nabi's second campaign at Naturena, with a higher league finish and potential continental qualification likely minimum requirements for activating that one-year extension option.
