Kaizer Chiefs Face Season Opener Without Nasreddine Nabi

Just when fans were gearing up for the 2025/26 Betway Premiership kickoff, Kaizer Chiefs dropped some tough news—head coach Nasreddine Nabi won't be leading the team from the sidelines for their opening clash against Stellenbosch FC. The reason: a critical family emergency back in Tunisia.

The timing couldn't be rougher for the club. According to their statement, Nabi had to jet off after learning that his wife was seriously injured in an accident at their home. The accident was apparently severe enough for him to put football on hold and immediately fly out to be with his family—a reminder that sometimes there are things bigger than even the fiercest derby.

Assistant Coaches Step In for Critical Clash

With Nabi away, the baton passes to his right-hand men, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze. These two will try to fill the big shoes on Sunday, August 10, 2025, as Chiefs meet Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town. Both assistants are familiar faces in the technical area, but stepping into the spotlight for the team's first game of the season—when expectations are sky high—brings its own pressure.

The situation leaves the club and fans in a bit of limbo. Chiefs didn’t sugarcoat it: Nabi’s return isn't set in stone. He’ll come back only when he knows things have settled with his family back in Tunisia. Until then, his focus is entirely away from the pitch.

The club has publicly thrown its support behind the coach, asking supporters to keep him and his family in their thoughts. You could feel the emotion in their official message—a genuine call for unity as the team handles both a demanding fixture and the weight of missing their leader.

For the Chiefs, this means rolling into the new season with a cloud of uncertainty. No one wants to start with their gameplan in flux and their coaching structure shifted. But sometimes you just have to adapt, and this weekend, Ben Youssef and Kaze will be running the show while the Chiefs wait for word from Tunisia. Fans will be watching, hoping for results on the field and good news off it. That’s football—real life and sport colliding, right from the first whistle.