The match was decided by a second-half goal from Darwin Gonzalez, who capitalized on a swift counter-attack.
Post-match, Chiefs’ coach Nasreddine Nabi expressed his frustration with the team’s recurring errors. “We feel that we made the same mistakes, especially in the first half,” Nabi said to reporters.
He highlighted the team’s struggles in the final third, explaining, “We were unlucky not to take the right decisions in the final third, going into the opponent’s goal.”
Nabi further analyzed the game’s turning point, “Unfortunately, the opponent got a counter-attack, and we were not able to come back from that.”
He pinpointed the team’s decision-making as a significant area for improvement, “I feel the decision-making in the last third we had a lack…sometimes we played too many touches, sometimes we played too early.”
Despite the loss, Nabi was clear about the team’s overall performance, “We didn’t deserve to lose the three points, but we have to back, work, and try to improve.”
He called for collective responsibility, noting, “We had to wait for an individual except Shabalala, everyone needs to step up. If a player does not feel good, everyone needs to lift the team, contribute to the improvement of the team.”
On the topic of squad reinforcements during the current transfer window, Nabi remained hopeful yet realistic. “The transfer window is open, every club is trying to improve their squad, our clubs are trying, working very hard to try look at different offers.
“It’s not easy, it’s January but everyone is working very hard,” he concluded.
This defeat places additional pressure on Chiefs to regroup and strengthen their squad as they aim to climb back up the league standings.