Former Kaizer Chiefs boss Nasreddine Nabi has sparked social media frenzy with cryptic posts following the Soweto derby. Photo: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Image: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Former Kaizer Chiefs’ coach Nasreddine Nabi appears to have taken a dig at his former assistants Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, allegedly accusing them of betrayal after posting cryptic Quranic messages after the duo lost their first Soweto derby on Saturday.
Chiefs lost 3-0 to arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership at FNB Stadium – a clash that marked the duo’s debut in the Soweto derby as co-coaches, having previously served as Nabi’s right-hand men in the last three derbies, losing two and winning one.
Nabi’s departure, and the retention of Kaze, Ben Youssef, Ilyes Mzoughi (the goalkeeper coach) and Safi Majdi (the conditioning and fitness coach) also raised eyebrows.
Many believed that if Nabi wasn’t good enough, he should have been released with his entire technical team, while others insisted the quartet’s decision to not resign and stick by the man who brought them to the club was simply betrayal – a feat that Kaze denied.
He said at the time: “I have known coach Nabi for a couple of years.
"We have worked for some time. He and I know the situation of the coaching job. Today, he’s not here. But I am pretty sure he'll be proud of the fact that we continue where he left off, and bring the club back to where it belongs.”
It seems that wasn’t the case. The Tunisian rushed to his Instagram status page to post cryptic Islamic scriptures from the Quran after Chiefs’ loss in Soweto, almost taking a swipe at his former right-hand men over “betrayal”.
“Out of arrogance upon the earth and evil plotting. But evil plotting only falls back upon those who devised it …”
“And Allah knows well the wrongdoers. They had also sought discord and had upset matters for you until the truth came and the command of Allah prevailed, though they were averse … If good befalls you; it grieves them; but if misfortune strikes you, they say: ‘We had taken our precautions beforehand,’ and they turn away while rejoicing.”
“And they had planned their plan, but their plan was known to Allah, even if their plan had been such as to move mountains.”
“They planned, and Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.”
Given the Soweto derby loss, which marked the team's fourth defeat in five games, including crashing out in the Nedbank Cup and CAF Confederation Cup, while their title charge now hangs by a thread, Nabi could have the last laugh. Kaze also placed their future in the hands of the management.
“I would not answer that, because that’s not up to me,” Kaze said in the post-match press conference after the loss to Pirates. “I believe that the coaches are here because they’re trusted by the management.”
*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch