Chilled Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Kaze unfazed by Nabi's snub

The notable omission of his assistant coaches from the farewell message of Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has sparked discussions of potential discord within the club’s technical team.

After a fruitful three-season collaboration, Burundi-born Cedric Kaze and Tunisian Ben Youssef found themselves absent from Nabi’s public expression of gratitude, which thanked other members of his staff, such as goalkeeper coach Ilyes Mzoughi and conditioning coach Majdi Safi.

The trio have a history that predates their time at Kaizer Chiefs, dating back to their partnership at Young Africans in Tanzania. Considering the commotion, Kaze chose to address the media about the farewell snub at Monday’s press conference.

“About the letter, I don’t have any comment,” he stated.

However, he made it clear that he holds no ill will towards Nabi.

“I worked with Nabi for three seasons, and I wish him well. I told him that, and I hope that he will find something that suits him in the near future. And I wished him all the best,” Kaze said.

As Kaze steps up to co-manage the team alongside Ben Youssef in the wake of Nabi’s departure, he emphasised continuity and stability for the players at Naturena.

“The players believe in what we are building. Everyone is optimistic. We’re proud to be leading a club like Kaizer Chiefs,” he said, hinting at an atmosphere of collective belief among the squad.

While acknowledging the opinions flooding social media regarding team selections, Kaze remained unfazed, asserting the need for experience and strategic insight in their coaching approach.

“When you see some comments on social media, you’d think everyone is a coach and has an opinion on who should play and who shouldn’t. We know what we’re doing. We have experience; we know the tricks of Africa. We know that we can achieve big things,” he declared.

With a sense of optimism enveloping Naturena and a united front within the coaching staff, Kaze and Ben Youssef look to lead Kaizer Chiefs towards further success, navigating the challenges and expectations that come with managing one of South Africa’s most revered football clubs.

After their return from the DRC, where they played AS Simba on Saturday in a CAF match, Chiefs will shift focus back to domestic duties. They play Siwelele FC on Wednesday in a Betway Premiership fixture at the FNB Stadium.