Nabi’s hot dish cooking: Kaizer Chiefs serving up early-season tastiness

The 2025/26 campaign began with Kaizer Chiefs facing more questions than answers. Improvement was not simply a desire but an outright demand from the Amakhosi faithful after seasons of frustration. 

Even the smallest signs of progress were expected to ease tensions at Naturena. Five games in, however, the Glamour Boys have not only delivered progress — they have built genuine momentum.

Few would have predicted such a start. Chiefs, along with Sekhukhune United, are the only unbeaten sides in the Betway Premiership, both sitting on 13 points from a possible 15. Goal difference separates them, but the sight of Amakhosi holding second place as the league pauses for the international break represents a remarkable turnaround. 

For a club accustomed to being questioned at every step especially in the last two seasons, this break arrives with positivity and belief.

Nasreddine Nabi deserves much of the credit. Last season, the head coach often used the analogy of a dish being prepared to serve hot, insisting patience was required. That patience wore thin among supporters as rivals surged ahead. 

Yet, five games into the new campaign, Nabi’s words ring true. The performances may not yet be flawless, but the team has shown character and resilience that had been missing for far too long.

Chiefs are not yet a fully polished machine, but there are visible improvements. Balance, in particular, has been restored. Where previous seasons saw goals conceded cancel out goals scored, the new campaign has showcased a more stable defensive structure.

Fresh arrivals Thabiso Monyane and Paseka Mako have quickly settled, bringing stability and composure that has made a significant difference.

Between the posts, consistency has been the missing piece in recent years. Brandon Petersen, however, has taken ownership of the role and flourished. The experienced goalkeeper has yet to concede a goal this season across five appearances — a testament to his focus and the assurance he provides behind the defensive line.

Perhaps the greatest test of this progress came in the goalless draw with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. The Glamour Boys did not win, but they traded blows with the best in the country and emerged with pride intact. It was more than a point; it was a psychological lift, showing that they can stand firm against the strongest opposition.

In attack, Nabi’s new striker Flavio da Silva silenced early doubts with his first goal for the club  in a 1-0 win against Golden Arrows. For a player under scrutiny so soon after arrival, that strike will provide confidence and hint at his potential to lead the line as the season develops.

Another key advantage for the Soweto giants comes during the international break. Only Mduduzi Shabalala has been called into Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad for qualifiers against Nigeria and Lesotho. The rest of the squad remains in Naturena, enjoying recovery and preparation time.

Compared to rivals like Orlando Pirates, whose players face heavy schedules and an MTN8 final, Amakhosi will return to domestic action with fresher legs and sharper minds.

It has been a solid start, founded on balance, stability, and discipline and Nabi’s carefully prepared dish, once promised, is finally being served hot — and at Naturena, the taste of patience reaping rewards has never been sweeter … for now.