Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has urged patience in judging the club's extensive summer recruitment, saying it's premature to assess whether the 10 new signings will add significant value.
This is despite maintaining a perfect defensive record after four league matches.
The Tunisian mentor's cautious response comes even as Chiefs remain the only team in the Betway Premiership yet to concede a goal, following Wednesday night's goalless draw against Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after officially unveiling midfielder Lebogang Maboe as the club's 10th signing, Nabi emphasized that more time is needed to evaluate the new arrivals' impact.
Nabi explained that the club's improved defensive solidity comes from collective effort rather than just individual signings, while highlighting the importance of having specialist players in key positions.
"About the signings, we are still at the fourth game of the league, and there are a lot of games coming with different competitions as well. We will see how the players adapt and if they add value because sometimes they take too long or they adapt very quickly, but the future will tell us," Nabi told journalists.
The coach also made an emotional reference to his wife's recent accident before addressing football matters.
“Maybe we should have started by asking how my wife is doing because it was a very serious accident. But she is doing much better," Nabi stated.
Returning to football, Nabi discussed his improved defensive options to keep it tight at the back.
“With the players we have brought in, we had a lot of work on not only the defenders but the whole team to defend together, and as well when you speak of (Thabiso) Monyane and (Paseka) Mako. Mako is a left-back, and remember last season, we said that we didn’t have a specialist in that position. Cross is a centre-back. TT (Thatayaone Ditlhokwe) was a centre-back. But now we can say we have a player who is specialised in that position, and not forgetting about Reeve (Frosler) that we have a chance to play. As well as the new players that we have brought in, it is for the moment and the future as well, because there are, as well, young players that we brought in, so that we don’t have to do big investments for the future.
The coach addressed the absence of striker Flavio Silva from the matchday squad, explaining the decision was based on match fitness concerns.
"We believe that the team will be better this season. About Silva, I think his last game was in the Toyota Cup against Ghana, and today was a big game, and to throw him out there after he has spent probably months without having a competitive game will have been not (wise). That is why we decided to keep him (out)," Nabi concluded.
Nabi's measured approach to evaluating his new signings reflects the pressure surrounding Chiefs' ambitious rebuild, with supporters eager to see immediate returns on significant investment. While the perfect defensive record provides early encouragement, the coach's emphasis on patience suggests he understands the long-term nature of integrating multiple new players into a cohesive unit capable of challenging for silverware across multiple competitions this season.
@soccer_laduma #MiguelCardoso, coach of #MamelodiSundowns, addresses the absence of key players for the clash against #KaizerChiefs
