Despite not being a good day at the office for Kaizer Chiefs on Tuesday night, coach Nasreddine Nabi has called for calm from fans and urged them not to panic.
Amakhosi not only tasted their first defeat of the season but also conceded for the first time after six Betway Premiership matches, when they were handed a 3-1 thrashing by Sekhukhune United at the FNB Stadium.
Veteran striker Bradley Grobler was the orchestrator of Amakhosi’s misfortune when he scored a brace and provided an assist for Thabang Monare to ensure that they reclaim their position at the top of the log standings.
Babina Noko now lead the log standings with 16 points, followed by Mamelodi Sundowns in second place with 14 points, while Chiefs are in third place with 13 points after six games.
Speaking to the media after the game, a visibly disappointed Nabi attributed their defeat to mistakes that proved to be costly but asked fans not to panic.
Comedy of errors
“I would say we knew going into this game that it was [going to be] a difficult game against a difficult opponent,” Nabi said.
“I think we made many mistakes that led to goals. Sekhukhune posed many problems for us, especially in transition and with long balls that we couldn’t deal with.
“For the first goal, two players [Aiden McCarthy and Paseka Mako] went for the same ball, and after a flick, there was no cover. For the second goal, we had the ball and gave it away in a very critical area.
“The third goal was a long ball and a flick [from Grobler]. We acknowledge the intelligence of Grobler, but these are mistakes we believe we could have avoided.”
Nabi continued: “We were not good enough today, even in our offensive game. We created some opportunities, but it wasn’t good enough to control the game or to be in front. I don’t think there is any need to panic.
“We just need to learn from our mistakes and go into the next game with more conviction and concentration. Sekhukhune deserved the three points today.”
Nabi and his side will want to forget about the disappointing result and shift their attention to the CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round, when they travel to Angola to face Kabuscorp on Saturday.
