Cup glory shouldn't cloud judgment — Nabi isn’t the right fit for Chiefs

Football is a global game, and as such, lessons can be learned from other clubs’ mistakes in terms of coaching appointments and player recruitment.

Last year, the INEOS Group decided to keep going with the Erik ten Hag experiment after the Dutchman guided Manchester United to an unlikely FA Cup final win over rivals Manchester City.

Before the match, heavy speculation surrounding Ten Hag’s future was everywhere. Every news publication in England ran with the story that INEOS were set to pull the plug regardless of the result.

United had been terrible all season, and a tenure that had started so well, started to look like a mistake. The team couldn’t string two wins together, and the players’ morale was at an all-time low.

But, after the Dutchman delivered a tactical masterclass to beat Pep Guardiola and his juggernaut, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his cohorts decided to stick with him, and he was given more money to spend in the transfer market.

A couple of months down the line, they went back on that decision and sacked Ten Hag, leaving new man in Ruben Amorim with fires to put out in every corner.

Now, Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs find themselves in the same place United were in a year ago. Nasreddine Nabi’s tenure has been a disaster and the club has struggled to get going in the league and other competitions.

After last weekend’s Nedbank Cup win over Orlando Pirates, the club must grapple with the decision to sack him and start the search for a new coach again, or give him another chance to make Kaizer Chiefs great again.

It’s understandable if everyone involved with the club is excited after last weekend’s win, much like United were a year ago, but the club needs to learn from United’s mistake and prevent history from repeating itself.

If Chiefs want to improve next season, they can’t do so with Nabi at the helm of the ship. He must go at the end of the season. What the club should do now is start the search for a new head coach and give him enough time to work with the players ahead of the new season.

I don’t think Nabi is a bad coach. Far from it. He’s got one of the best football minds on the continent, and his work at other clubs proves this. But, when it comes to Kaizer Chiefs, he’s just not a good fit.