Nabi Announces Partnership Plans with Chiefs’ DDC Stars

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has unveiled the plans that he and the club’s management aim to adopt for incorporating academy players, with the Soweto giants highlighting a wealth of promising contenders for the first team in their DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] squad.

As the reserve team strives to clinch their first-ever championship, Amakhosi is rich in talent within their youth ranks, showcasing players like Naledi Hlongwane, Takalani Mazhamba, Kabelo Nkgwesa, and Aden McCarthy, all viewed as potential candidates for promotion to the first team.

McCarthy, who leads the DDC as captain, has been instrumental in the club’s title quest and was listed in the matchday squad against Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final. The Chiefs’ coach stressed the importance of carefully integrating talented young players into the senior team while rebuilding the squad.

“The strategy we discussed with the board this season is to build a robust team while simultaneously keeping an eye on our younger talents, the DDC players, and providing them with opportunities. You saw Duba excel as one of the top performers in the match against Sundowns,” Nabi explained, with translations by Khalil Ben Youssef.

“Aden [McCarthy] is included in our plans, and we consistently strive to incorporate DDC players by giving them chances to join our training sessions and evaluating their readiness without focusing on their age. If they earn the opportunity to play, they should—age should not be the decisive factor.

“There are numerous talents, including [Nkosana] Mbuthu and Pelembe [Ozoemena Manqoba]. Let’s not forget about Mbuthu; you might remember his impressive performance against Yanga during pre-season.”

However, while Nabi recognizes the value of combining youth with experience, he cautioned against rushing to field academy players at a club like Chiefs, where the pressures are significant.

Additionally, the 59-year-old coach acknowledged that McCarthy was set to start against Sundowns, but two of his players chose to play despite injuries.

“If there weren’t such immense pressures at Kaizer Chiefs, it would be simpler to provide younger players with chances, but given the high stakes and past results, we must be prudent in when we bring them into the starting lineup. Placing them in challenging situations could harm their careers, so we need to approach it wisely,” the Tunisian mentor described.

“There are many young prospects, but we are waiting for the right moment to showcase them. Aden was nearly 90% ready to start this game. He was intended to be in the lineup, but I appreciate the medical team for preparing [Edmilson] Dove and Zitha [Kwinika] for us.

“I also want to recognize the players, as some who are injured might hesitate to participate in a critical match like a semi-final against Sundowns, but the strong mentality and sacrifice demonstrated by Dove and Zitha deserve acknowledgment.”

Amakhosi will travel to the Eastern Cape to face Chippa United in Gqeberha at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (17:30), aiming to break their four-match winless streak and return to winning ways in the Betway Premiership.