Chiefs on track under Nasreddine Nabi Nasreddine Nabi's Kaizer Chiefs are on track to win a first trophy in a decade after beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup, setting a final date with Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Image: Itumeleng English, Independent Newspapers
Kaizer Chiefs are in a cup final!
More importantly, they beat Mamelodi Sundowns to get there. And furthermore, they set up a Nedbank Cup final date against fierce Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates. Chiefs fans are in dream land right now.
If you told them this at the beginning of the season, when the club made a flying start to life under Nasreddine Nabi, their supporters wouldn’t have been so surprised, and they would have been disappointed the Nedbank Cup was the only trophy they were fighting for.
However, tell them that a couple of months later, when the wheels fell off and the fans started to doubt the Tunisian, then a cup final appearance would be taken as a bonus. At this moment in the season, a cup final appearance is the best thing that’s happened to the club.
If Abafana bok’thula noxolo can win the Nedbank Cup, then Nabi will have achieved something no Chiefs coach has managed in the last decade. It will be a positive sign – that a club that’s fallen so far behind the likes of Sundowns and Pirates over the years are finally on the right track to reclaiming their glory days.
Winning a trophy will also serve as validation to the players that they should trust the process under Nabi. Beating Sundowns will no doubt serve as extra motivation for the players to go on and pick up as many points as possible from the 18 that are available in the league.
It’s not just about silverware — it’s about belief. A Nedbank Cup triumph would mark the beginning of a new era at Naturena, one built on resilience, renewed ambition, and the return of a winning mentality. It would give the fans something tangible to celebrate after years of frustration, and it would give the players and coaching staff a powerful reminder that progress is being made.
For once, Kaizer Chiefs wouldn’t just be talking about a revival — they’d be living it. And beating both Sundowns and Pirates en route to the trophy would make the statement even louder: that Chiefs are no longer content to live in the shadows of their rivals, and under Nabi, they may just be on the verge of writing a new golden chapter.
But, even if they fail to beat Pirates in the final, just going that far in the competition should still be seen as a positive.
IOL Sport
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
** JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Send us an email with your comments, thoughts or responses to iolletters@inl.co.za. Letters should be a maximum of 500 words, and may be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Submissions should include a contact number and physical address (not for publication).
