Kaizer Chiefs Nabi explains Gaston Sirino’s premature substitution, as per Soccer Laduma.
Nabi addressed the decision to substitute Sirino during the second half of their disappointing 1-0 loss to SuperSport United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. This defeat follows a dominant victory against the same opponent just a week prior, highlighting the unpredictable nature of football.
After the match, Nabi congratulated SuperSport for their performance, stating, “First of all, congratulations to the opponent for the three points, and the other thing is sometimes football is simple; in order to win a game, you need to score.” He emphasised the missed opportunities, revealing, “We had five, six opportunities to score; the opponent only had one, and they scored.” Nabi expressed frustration but acknowledged the reality of the sport, noting, “It’s very difficult to swallow the result today, but that’s how football is.”
Understanding the decision to replace Sirino
When asked about his choice to take Sirino off the field, Nabi explained, “We believe the changes that we made had a positive impact. Unfortunately for Castillo, it was an injury. But Sirino was injured during the week; he didn’t train and only participated in the last session.” This context sheds light on the strategic decisions made during the match.
Seeking improvement after back-to-back losses
Nabi remains hopeful that this defeat serves as a valuable lesson for his squad as they move forward this season. Following an impressive start with three consecutive wins, the Chiefs now face back-to-back losses to Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United. SuperSport’s victory propelled them to eighth place in the league, one spot ahead of the Amakhosi.
“It’s a game we controlled practically the whole game,” Nabi reiterated. “Unfortunately, we created many opportunities, but we couldn’t score, and the opponent had only one opportunity, and they scored it.” He urges his young players to grasp the importance of converting chances into goals, stating, “If we wanna win, we need to score more than our opponents.”
Building a stronger mentality
Nabi has previously addressed the team’s mentality, focusing on improving their response to adversity. He observed, “We believe that today the mentality was good, was positive even after conceding the goal. They switched on, we pressed, we pushed hard, especially in the second half.”
The coach highlighted their efforts to play aggressively: “We played higher, put numbers in the box, took shots, made crosses; we believed we could change the game. We want that kind of mentality.” As Kaizer Chiefs look to bounce back, the focus shifts to refining their approach and turning missed opportunities into future victories.
Stay tuned with The South African as Kaizer Chiefs’ Nabi explains Gaston Sirino’s premature substitution.
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