Nabi calls for improvement against Maroons

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi wants to see better decision-making from his team when they host Stellenbosch in a Betway Premiership clash at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM:

The Glamour Boys made a losing start to the new year after they were beaten 1-0 by Cape Town City in the Mother City on Sunday, having signed off 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Chippa United on December 29.

Amakhosi have picked up just five points from their last five league outings, recording only one win during that period and find themselves above Golden Arrows on goal difference in seventh place.

Chiefs had 16 attempts at goal against the Citizens and Nabi felt his players often made the wrong decisions in the final third, which resulted in them failing to score for the third time this season.

This will be Stellies' first top-flight encounter of 2025 after they were involved in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday, beating Lunda Sul 2-0 in Pretoria.

Steve Barker's side played out to a 1-1 draw with SuperSport United last time out in the league on December 28, although they got pushed down to fifth position by Sekhukhune United, who drew 1-1 against Polokwane City on Sunday.

The Maroons are in action just twice this month in the league and Barker has urged his players to gun for all three points against the Soweto giants to boost their top-three challenge.

WHAT WAS SAID:

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi

"We feel that we made the same mistakes, especially in the first half. We were unlucky not to take the right decisions in the final third, going into the opponent's goal.

"Unfortunately, the opponent got a counter-attack, and we were not able to come back from that. I feel the decision-making in the last third we had a lack... sometimes we played too many touches, sometimes we played too early.

"That's how it was today and we feel we didn't deserve to win, but we didn't deserve to lose the three points but we have to go back, work and try to improve."

Stellenbosch head coach Steve Barker

"Chiefs is not Lunda Sul. It's a different challenge but we have to go into the game with an element of confidence and belief.

"We only play one league game this whole January (they also face AmaZulu on January 21) and that's on Wednesday, so it's important to maximise and get maximum points if we can."

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Kaizer Chiefs - Mduduzi Shabalala was singled out for praise by Nabi after impressing against City and he could well have had a goal and an assist. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder forced Darren Keet into a sharp save from close range on 17 minutes and he played in Ashley Du Preez with a superb defence-splitting pass on 87 minutes, only for the striker to waste his chance.

Stellenbosch - Fawaaz Basadien once again underlined his importance to Barker with a beautiful delivery from a corner to provide the assist for Jayden Adams to open the scoring against Matsatsantsa. The 28-year-old left-back has contributed two goals and two assists in nine league appearances this season and will be knocking on Hugo Broos' door to be included in his 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad, having made his Bafana Bafana debut against Uganda on November 15.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: (Last Five Betway Premiership Meetings)

Matches - 5

Kaizer Chiefs wins - 3

Stellenbosch wins - 2

Draws - 0