Mihlali Baleka
Nasreddine Nabi is laying a picturesque foundation at Kaizer Chiefs, and he’s pleased to reunite with Cedric Kaze, who’ll help him complete the project.
Kaze joined Chiefs as Nabi’s second assistant last week, replacing Fernando da Cruz, who reportedly accepted an offer from the Moroccan Football Federation.
Nabi and Kaze initially worked together at Tanzanian giants Young Africans, enjoying unprecedented success, which included back-to-back Premiership titles and FA Cups. While Kaze is a relatively unknown figure on the continent, he boasts a wealth of coaching experience and has a bachelor’s degree in sport science as well as a CAF A licence.
His international experience encompasses working with respective national teams in Burundi, contributions to the Barcelona Academy, and a spell in Canada. Kaze watched Chiefs’ resounding 4-0 win over SuperSport United in the Carling Knockout Cup on Saturday night from the stands.
However, he was involved in match-day activities, serving as Nabi’s English translator, as the 59-year-old coach has engaged in French during his media duties since his arrival. When quizzed about his reunion with Kaze, who’ll form part of a backroom staff that already includes Ilyes Mzoughi, Ben Youseff, and Safi Majdi, Nabi expressed great enthusiasm.
“This is my brother, Mr Cedric Kaze. He’s my second assistant. We worked together at Young Africans, and we won a lot of trophies there. We had very good moments, and sometimes bad moments. He’s a very good guy, experienced, and skilled,” Nabi stated.
“I am grateful to Kaizer Motaung Junior and Bobby (Motaung) for bringing him here. He’s a very good guy, a gentleman and good coach.”
Kaze’s work is cut out for him as he must quickly roll up his sleeves and assist Nabi in extracting the best from the team, particularly the club’s ‘capital investment’: the youth.
Nabi has done well so far with youngsters like Samkelo Zwane, 22, Wandile Duba, 20, and Mfundo Vilakazi, 18, all proving to be vital for the team, despite their tender ages. Departing from last season, where Zwane was largely a bench-warmer under Cavin Johnson, Nabi’s praise for him has been notable.
“It’s true that Zwane has worked a lot in the past few months, and we believe that he has changed because before there were some tactical issues and concentration,” Nabi noted.
“He’s still young; sometimes he would want to do unnecessary things, but it’s through matches like this (against SuperSport) that our youngsters will grow. It’s not only him—it’s (Mduduzi) Shabalala, Duba and Vilakazi.
“We believe it’s a capital investment for the club to have those players coming from the academy. We need to show that all those are going to have a chance if they prove themselves.
“They still have a big margin to progress. We haven’t seen the better of them yet.”
Nasreddine Nabi sharing wisdom with our starboy Samkelo Zwane🔥🤌🏾
❤️✌🏾pic.twitter.com/yzzjUmEb5y
— El Capitano⚪ (@_izodlalaiTv) October 10, 2024
Chiefs’ fans are evidently buying into Nabi’s transition period with every passing game, as reflected by their filling up of the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, contributing to impressive attendance figures at Toyota, Moses Mabhida and FNB Stadiums. Nabi understands the challenges ahead, particularly during this building phase, and has urged supporters to continue rallying behind the team.
“We are happy that the fans are pleased with the results, but we are still very far from what we want to build — we are in a period of building, and it’s going to take a lot of time,” Nabi commented.
“But even in that period, we need to get the results to keep the team going forward. We are aware that in the future we will go through difficult moments.
“We know, however, the strategy of how we want our team to play and react. We are far, but we are heading in the right direction. We hope the support will be there to make that impact.”
As Chiefs prepare to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout Cup last quarter-final, supporters are left hoping the team’s structure will have solidified by then.
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