'This is not how Kaizer Chiefs are supposed to play': Junior Khanye slams Nasreddine Nabi's long-ball tactics

Nasreddine Nabi's long-ball tactics have been criticised by former Kaizer Chiefs star Junior Khanye, who likened the Tunisian to Ernst Middendorp. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Media

Nasreddine Nabi's long-ball tactics have been criticised by former Kaizer Chiefs star Junior Khanye, who likened the Tunisian to Ernst Middendorp. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Media

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Former Kaizer Chiefs star Junior Khanye has likened the club’s head coach Nasreddine Nabi to Ernst Middendorp, who preferred a style of play that featured a lot of long balls and crosses.

Despite Middendorp falling short of winning a league title during the 2019/2020 season, his tactical approach was criticised by fans, and the German was eventually sacked.

Since Middendorp’s sacking, the club have gone from one crisis to another, and have never challenged for the title again. This season saw the appointment of Nabi as head coach, and after an encouraging start, the club have since taken a step backwards.

And now Khanye has likened the two coaches’ styles of play, and said he wasn’t convinced by the Tunisian tactician’s ability to restore Kaizer Chiefs to the top of the South African football food chain.

“The new coach is more or less like Ernst Middendorp with too many long balls and that’s not how Chiefs is supposed to play,” Khanye was quoted by iDiskiTimes.

“If they were losing whilst they were playing well, we’d have hope. I didn’t want to judge Nabi while I didn’t know him, he’s typical North African coach, plays long balls and crosses, goes to the referee and fights and influence other technical team member. And the players now none of them have character, not even the attackers.

“It’s only [Gaston] Sirino but look at his age and who is going to pass him. His situation is similar to that of Khama’s [Billiat] because Khama was average because of the environment.

“Chiefs is disjointed. It’s out of the picture I need to be honest.”

IOL Sport