Kaizer Chiefs have finally made Nasreddine Nabi’s exit official. It was South African football’s worst-kept secret in 2025.
Now that the Tunisian tactician is out of the picture, will Chiefs shift their attention to a local boss?
Let’s take a look at some of the candidates to replace him.
OH NO: Kaizer Chiefs star struck by second-season syndrome
Kaizer Chiefs sack Nabi, but who will succeed him?
The club finally announced that Nasreddine Nabi will be leaving the club. Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze to lead Amakhosi until the end of the season, but who are the candidates to take the job permanently? Previous local options, Molefi Ntseki, Cavin Johnson and Arthur Zwane, all lacked the minerals to succeed at this level.
Gavin Hunt for a Kaizer Chiefs return?
As a former Chiefs boss, the legendary Gavin Hunt knows about the pressure of the job. Whether or not the ex-SuperSport boss wants to return to Naturena is another matter.
Eric Tinkler
Now at the helm of an impressive and improving Sekhukune side, former Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler is seemingly the first choice of several Chiefs fans across Mzansi. Babina Noko are sitting second in the league with 20 points after nine matches; why on earth would Chiefs NOT consider this man?
55-year-old Tinkler enjoyed a stellar playing career, winning AFCON in 1996 and collecting 55 caps for Bafana. At club level, he enjoyed stints in Italy, Portugal and England. His head-coaching career spans 10 years after starting out with Orlando Pirates in 2015. He’s also collected silverware as a boss with SuperSport and City.
Jose Riveiro
This probably couldn’t go down too well with Chiefs’ fierce Soweto rivals. It’s a long shot, but the Glamour Boys could do worse than considering Jose Riveiro as a candidate to take the reins.
Kaizer Chiefs news and rumours: Pitso, Epstein, Duba
Why Pitso Mosimane will be hesitant about taking the Kaizer Chiefs job
There’s no doubting Pitso’s acumen as a coach. He’s excelled in South Africa, North Africa and the Gulf. ‘Jingles’ is a three-time CAF Champions League winner, scooping Africa’s biggest club prize twice with Al Ahly (2021, 2021) and once with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016. The common theme running through those two clubs, however, is rich success and dominance this millennium. Kaizer Chiefs, meanwhile, have been a shadow of themselves since their last league crown in 2015.