By Phenyo Selinda
Bloemfontein – Kaizer Chiefs fans experienced the dawn of the Nasereddine Nabi era in the inaugural Toyota Cup against Young Africans at the Toyota Stadium on Sunday. Despite the 4-0 defeat to the Tanzanian champions, the sunny winter afternoon brought a glimpse of hope for the Amakhosi faithful.
The match showcased a youthful Chiefs line-up, featuring Mduduzi Shabalala, Samkelo Zwane, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Nkosana Mbuthu, son of former Chiefs player Patrick ‘Ace’ Mbuthu. This team, sporting their brand new 2024/25 Kappa home kit for the first time on home soil, exhibited significant improvements in structure and passing, both in and out of possession.
While the final score was one-sided, the performance hinted at potential, with Nabi’s strategy beginning to take shape. However, it was evident that patience would be required for the team to gel and fully implement his vision. Young Africans, further along in their pre-season preparations, capitalised on their experience, whereas Nabi had limited time with his squad since joining the club.
Match Highlights
Young Africans took the lead in the 25th minute when Prince Dube capitalised on a fortunate ricochet off Given Msimango, stabbing the ball past Brandon Petersen. The visitors doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time, with Aziz Ki scoring after a mistake by Mbuthu, attributed to his inexperience.
Emerging in their stylish black 2024/25 Kappa away kit, embellished with striped gold feathers, Chiefs hoped for a better second half. Unfortunately, their luck did not improve. In the 57th minute, Young Africans’ Dube broke the Amakhosi offside trap and set up Clement Mzize for a straightforward finish, making it 3-0. Ki added his second, and Yanga’s fourth, in the 62nd minute after intercepting an under-hit back pass from Zwane.
Positives Amidst the Defeat
Despite the harsh scoreline, there were positives for Chiefs. Mfundo Vilakazi demonstrated he belongs at this level, and young Mbuthu, aside from his costly error, looked assured and confident. Coach Nabi will have gleaned valuable insights from this match, identifying areas for improvement while being encouraged by early signs of his players adapting to his instructions.
With the season set to begin in mid-September, Nabi has time to refine his strategy and better prepare the team for competitive action.
Curtain Raiser Nostalgia
In a curtain raiser that brought nostalgic memories, Kaizer Chiefs Legends triumphed over Bloemfontein Celtic Legends, 2-1. David Radebe gave Amakhosi a halftime lead, and Siyabonga Nomvethe doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the second half after Thuso Phala was fouled in the box. Celtic pulled back a consolation goal with a penalty of their own, but Chiefs saw out the game to the crowd’s delight.
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