Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze insists that Nasreddine Nabi is still pulling the strings despite his absence as they prepare for the visit of Richards Bay to the FNB Stadium on 19 August.
Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Current form:
Amakhosi have made a strong start to the season and are the joint-leaders in the Betway Premiership alongside Durban City (1st), Marumo Gallants (3rd) and Sekhukhune United (4th) on six points.
The Glamour Boys have yet to concede a goal in the 2025-26 campaign after recording back-to-back wins against Stellenbosch (2-0) and Polokwane City (1-0) in their opening two matches.
However, Nabi was missing from the touchline for both games as he had to travel to Tunisia for a family emergency involving his wife and is still back in his homeland.
Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef are overseeing first-team matters in his continued absence, but he remains heavily involved and is kept informed on a daily basis by his assistants at Naturena.
In contrast, the Natal Rich Boyz have made a poor start to proceedings and find themselves at the wrong end of the table after failing to pick up a single point to date.
Ronnie Gabriel's side kicked things off with a 2-1 defeat to Gallants and were also beaten 1-0 by Golden Arrows, while they crashed out of the MTN8 quarterfinals following a heavy 4-0 loss against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Richards Bay are kept out of the basement on goal difference by TS Galaxy (16th) and have an identical record to Orlando Pirates (14th), who have also shipped three goals and scored just once.
What was said:
Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze
"The technical staff is led by coach Nabi. It doesn't matter who's standing on the line - what matters is that Kaizer Chiefs is winning. That's the most important thing.
"We're on the field every day, feeling the vibe, seeing what's happening in training, and understanding which player combinations work best. He trusts us to make the line-up, but as head coach, he's informed daily.
"We are always in contact with the head coach. But he trusts our experience and knowledge."
Players to watch:
Kaizer Chiefs - Makabi Lilepo was a constant threat against Rise And Shine and can count himself unfortunate not to get his name on the scoresheet after hitting the crossbar with a header in the first half. The DR Congo winger, who opened his account for the season against Stellies, also forced Brian Bwire into two saves and was involved in the build-up to Siphesihle Ndlovu's winner.
Richards Bay - Lundi Mahala has made an impressive start to life with the Natal Rich Boyz, scoring on his debut against Bahlabane Ba Ntwa and should've added to his tally in the KZN derby. The striker flashed a shot wide of the left post on 55 minutes after being played in by Tlakusani Mthethwa and squandered a glorious chance when he headed over from a corner at the back post on 65 minutes.
Head-to-Head: (Last Five Betway Premiership Matches)
Matches - 5
Kaizer Chiefs wins - 3
Richards Bay wins - 2
Draws - 0