Kaizer Chiefs’ instability threatens continental ambitions after Kabuscorp setback

COMMENT

Kaizer Chiefs’ defeat to Kabuscorp in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round on Saturday night was not just about a narrow scoreline. 

It was a stark reminder of how damaging instability on the touchline can be for a club that has spent years searching for direction. The Angolan outfit, cheered on by their home crowd at the 11 November Stadium in Luanda, did what many sides have done in recent seasons — exposed Amakhosi at a moment of vulnerability. 

Chiefs were without head coach Nasreddine Nabi, whose future at the club is now effectively over as discussions over his exit continue. 

The Tunisian’s absence was glaring, not just tactically, but in the confidence and identity of the team on the pitch. This constant chopping and changing of coaches is proving more harmful than helpful. 

Chiefs, once defined by continuity and stability, have become the face of short-term planning. Each new appointment arrives with big promises, only to be derailed before there is even time to build momentum. 

In the process, the players are caught in a cycle of adaptation — learning one system, then having to discard it when the next coach arrives.

The timing of Nabi’s exit could hardly be worse. Chiefs are at the start of a continental campaign and face a huge task of staying consistent in the Betway Premiership after a good start. 

To lose a head coach at the start of a continental competition is disruptive enough, but to replace him with assistants operating in caretaker mode strips the side of leadership when they need it most. 

Cedric Kaze and Youssef Ben Khalil may do their best to steady the ship, but they are not the architects of this project. What makes the situation more damaging is the message it sends to the players.

How do you demand consistency and accountability from a squad when the leadership structure is in flux?

Chiefs’ struggles against Kabuscorp showed exactly that — a team that played in patches, without conviction or clear rhythm. The defeat leaves them with a mountain to climb in the return leg at home.

There is also the bigger picture. Amakhosi supporters have grown weary of the endless reset buttons. They wanted stability under Nabi, even if last season’s league finish was disappointing. 

He delivered the Nedbank Cup and had the chance to build further. Instead, the club is back in limbo, yet again staring at another transition with no guarantee that the next appointment will last long enough to make a meaningful impact.

In a season where Chiefs are competing on multiple fronts, this uncertainty could prove fatal. 

Continental football requires a clear plan, a settled team, and a coach with the authority to steer it. By letting Nabi go at such a critical juncture, Chiefs risk sabotaging their own ambitions. If Saturday night in Luanda was anything to go by, the damage of yet another coaching change has already begun. 

Chiefs may still turn the tie around at home, but the cracks run deeper than a single result. Without stability in the dugout, Amakhosi’s wait for true revival looks set to drag on.