A goalless draw in a match as significant as Wednesday night’s clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns is the kind of result coaches will accept — even if they’d like you to believe otherwise.
Nasreddine Nabi felt Amakhosi should have “welcomed him back” with victory in the sold-out encounter at FNB Stadium. It was the Tunisian coach’s first match in charge this season, having missed the opening three games due to family commitments in Tunisia.
“We could have got the three points,” he said post-match. “But there was a good team in front of us. We have a little bit of regret not getting the win today, but we will work and look ahead to the future.”
Still unbeaten after four matches, Chiefs are yet to concede a goal — a fantastic start for a side that finished ninth last season. That they outplayed the champions and genuinely should have won — given the clearer chances they created — cannot be denied.
“Yes, we have not lost yet, but we believe tonight we could have got more,” Nabi lamented. “We appreciate that we are going in the right direction and we are going to work better for the next game.”
Nabi admitted that his second-half changes did not bring the breakthrough he had hoped for.
“In the first half we struggled a bit, but in the second half we made tactical adjustments in midfield which allowed us to press higher and stay on the front foot. We had opportunities, but unfortunately we could not convert them.”
Meanwhile, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso praised his players for their effort, despite not getting the result they wanted.
“I think the boys understood the message regarding how to approach such games. It was a fantastic match, very intense from the start. I think we made a much better first half than the second. I’m not happy with the result, but congratulations to the spirit the players showed.”
Cardoso admitted that Chiefs disrupted their rhythm with pace and intensity, forcing Sundowns to retreat.
“Chiefs didn’t allow us to play our normal way. After the 51st minute we understood which spaces to exploit and brought the ball into those areas. We took control of the match, but some negative emotions resurfaced — the same ones that cost us in the last two matches where we conceded late goals.”
“We tried to reinforce the team late on, but it wasn’t the same. Still, I’m proud of the fight and resilience the boys showed.”
The result sees Sundowns move up to third on eight points, two behind Chiefs, who are joint-top with Sekhukhune United after their 1-1 draw with AmaZulu.
In the other fixture of the night, Golden Arrows snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Magesi FC thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Nqubeko Dlamini.
