Chiefs deserved more suggests Nabi

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi felt Kaizer Chiefs were unlucky to lose in the Betway Premiership against Cape Town City on Sunday, deserving more from the game where Darwin Gonzalez’s 51st minute goal settled the outcome.

The result left Chiefs in seventh place in the standings, already 15 points adrift of leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

“I feel that it's not a game that we deserved to lose. Unfortunately, that's football, because I felt that we had the control of the game most of the time. We were high, we were pressing well, we were creating opportunities, but we had a lack of good decisions, especially in the last third, and especially in the first half,” Nabi said.

“Sometimes we took extra touches instead of playing early. Sometimes we were playing too early instead of waiting. It's been an issue for a while. If we are to score, we have to create a lot of opportunities, but this is football, the only thing we can do is go back and work.”

Chiefs were up against a City side who had changed coach last week with Eric Tinkler fired and replaced by Muhsin Ertugral.

“It didn’t impact or change our planning or the way we were going to play. Maybe they were a little more conservative than they had been before.

“The style of play was not the same with a mid-block and transition and counter attack. But probably the thing that changed the most was the mentality of the players from the other side (Cape Town City) that wanted to show the new coach that they deserve to be in the team. You know, a lot of times when there is a change of coach, there is change of mentality … at least in short term,” the Chiefs coach added.

Chiefs are next up against Stellenbosch at Soccer City on Wednesday, looking for an improvement in form.

“It's been six months and we feel that regarding our game model, the team has changed, especially now in how they play,” Nabi continued.

"It's true that there has been inconsistency in our results. It doesn't help, but if I were afraid for my job, I could play a mid block, play defensive, look forward to counter attack, with Ashley du Preez, who is very fast, and get results like that.

"But is that the DNA of this big club? No. We want this big club to play attractive football. Attractive football means a lot of risk too, and we have to build on that, and we have to believe in that, and we are going to continue and improve every day.”