Nabi welcomes Blom, Cross but snubs ‘below-par’ striker

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has revealed he turned down a chance to sign a striker with European experience, insisting he only wants players of high quality, as he welcomed the return of Njabulo Blom and the arrival of Bradley Cross.

"The level of a player coming to Kaizer Chiefs must be high...I want a high level. I don't accept a medium [level] player and for that I take time to decide,'' Nabi told the media at the Betway Premiership launch at the Galleria in Sandton yesterday.

"Yesterday [on Monday] I refused one striker who has played in Portugal. I refused him because he doesn’t have the level for Kaizer Chiefs. I am very happy with Njabulo. He’s.experienced. He's the boy from the family. Bradley, I am sure he has the personality and quality... we need to use him correctly.”

Blom yesterday rejoined Amakhosi on a season-long loan from his US Major League Soccer (MLS) side St Louis City, while Cross joined the club on a four-year deal from Golden Arrows. The 24-year-old Amakhosi development product had left the club for Louis City in January 2023. Cross joined the club on a four-year deal from Golden Arrows

Chiefs have failed to lure a few of their transfer targets thus far, with Cape Town Spurs' Asenele Velebayi and Fawaaz Basadien headlining the list. Nabi thinks the reason is that all the teams want to hold onto their best players. “It’s not easy to get quality players because other clubs also want to keep their best players. I've spoken to my colleagues here, they want to keep their best players. All the coaches need their best players,” the Tunisian coach said.

With the PSL transfer window slamming shut on September 20, Nabi reiterated that they weren’t done in the market. Gaston Sirino, Bongani Sam, Rushwin Dortley, Fiacre Ntwari and Miguel Inacio are other Chiefs” new signings ahead of the 2024/25 term.

“I am not yet happy with my squad but we will get to where we want to be in terms of having a strong squad,” Nabi said.

Chiefs’ first Betway Premiership match of the new campaign will be against Marumo Gallants at Free Stadium on September 14. 

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