{"id":18580,"date":"2025-07-28T09:41:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T07:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=18580"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:10:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:10:26","slug":"kaizer-chiefs-on-track-despite-toyota-cup-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-on-track-despite-toyota-cup-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Nasreddine Nabi: Kaizer Chiefs Are On Track Despite Toyota Cup Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has brushed aside concerns over the team\u2019s underwhelming pre-season results, emphasising that friendly matches are all about preparation rather than outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nabi was speaking following Amakhosi\u2019s penalty shootout defeat to Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup showdown at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Despite the loss, the Tunisian-Belgian tactician remained calm and firm in his belief that these games serve a bigger purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-s-all-about-preparation-not-scorelines\">It\u2019s All About Preparation, Not Scorelines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the start of their pre-season campaign, Chiefs have managed just one win from six matches, a run that includes a European tour to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-academy-stars-pre-season-opportunity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Netherlands<\/a>. But Nabi insists that results aren\u2019t the priority during this stage of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re in pre-season, and our objectives during this period are clearly outlined,\u201d Nabi told the media. \u201cThe aim of this friendly was never about the final score. I understand why people are looking at the result, but for us, it\u2019s about building the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1342952883\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-low-goal-count-not-a-concern-yet\">Low Goal Count Not a Concern Yet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the issues raised during pre-season has been the team\u2019s lack of goals. Chiefs have only managed to score three times in their six matches. However, Nabi again urged supporters and critics to look at the broader picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the Netherlands, we faced four top-flight clubs and had very little recovery time between matches. These conditions were tough but valuable,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is still a phase where we are learning and preparing. It\u2019s not about the 90-minute result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-visible-progress-despite-the-scoreboard\">Visible Progress Despite the Scoreboard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The clash against Asante Kotoko marked Chiefs\u2019 second appearance in the Toyota Cup, a pre-season event designed to strengthen continental ties and get the team ready for their return to CAF inter-club competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on the performance, Nabi believes the team is steadily progressing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cCompared to last year\u2019s Toyota Cup match against Young Africans, we\u2019ve made significant strides,\u201d he noted. \u201cYes, there are areas that need more work, but overall, we\u2019re improving.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The coach praised the team\u2019s growing quality and adaptability, highlighting that many of the players are starting to understand his tactical approach. \u201cThere\u2019s a better feel around the squad now. The players are responding well to our ideas,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1499912045\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-missed-chance-but-objectives-achieved\">A Missed Chance, But Objectives Achieved<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>New club captain Inacio Miguel had a golden opportunity to seal the win in regular time when Pule Mmodi won a penalty late in the game. However, Miguel\u2019s effort was off the mark, sending the match to penalties where Kotoko triumphed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite that, Nabi wasn\u2019t disappointed. \u201cWould we have liked to win? Of course,\u201d he said. \u201cBut more importantly, we achieved what we set out to do in terms of fitness, team cohesion, and tactical clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eyes-set-on-season-opener\">Eyes Set on Season Opener<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the Betway Premiership opener against Stellenbosch FC fast approaching, Chiefs now turn their focus to fine-tuning and ironing out remaining flaws. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sabcsport.com\/soccer\/news\/pre-season-matches-are-for-preparation-nasreddine-nabi?s=08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nabi<\/a> remains optimistic and is confident that the pre-season groundwork will pay off when the competitive fixtures begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as he\u2019s concerned, the team\u2019s preparation is heading in the right direction, and the scoreboard will soon reflect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-players-facing-contract-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8 Kaizer Chiefs Players Facing Contract Uncertainty in 2025\/26 Season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has brushed aside concerns over the team\u2019s underwhelming pre-season results, emphasising that friendly matches are all about preparation rather than outcomes. Nabi was speaking following Amakhosi\u2019s penalty shootout defeat to Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup showdown at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Despite the loss, the Tunisian-Belgian tactician<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has brushed aside concerns over the team\u2019s underwhelming pre-season results, emphasising that friendly matches are all...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[275,285,288],"class_list":{"0":"post-18580","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-kaizer-chiefs","10":"tag-psl-news","11":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18589,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18580\/revisions\/18589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}