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Nabi reveals 'Best in Africa' confidence ahead of Downs clash

Kaizer Chiefs' match sharpness will be tested when they come up against Mamelodi Sundowns, who have already played seven matches, compared to the Soweto giants' two, ahead of the big Betway Premiership clash on Saturday.

Chiefs appeared to have been derailed by the delay in the start of the league programme, as they did not qualify for the MTN8, and therefore, had to wait for six weeks before kicking a ball officially, with teams that qualified for the MTN8 and CAF tournaments in action.

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Ahead of a titanic encounter against Sundowns on Saturday, they come in with only two matches under their belt, the back-to-back wins over Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu FC respectively.

However, there are concerns The Brazilians could have the upper hand in terms of match sharpness, having already played seven competitive matches after they were eliminated in the MTN8 semi-finals, playing two CAF Champions League games, in addition to two league matches.

Chiefs had two contrasting halves against Usuthu on Wednesday, after scoring three goals in the first 23 minutes and switching off in the second stanza, where they appeared lethargic and almost allowed the KwaZulu-Natal side back into the game.

They eventually won 3-1.

However, head coach Nasreddine Nabi says their drop in performance had nothing to do with physical issues, as they have one of the best physical trainers in Africa, in Safi Majdi.

"I don't think it's a physical aspect, it's just that there was such a high in the first-half that it's quite normal to have a step down in the second-half," Nabi told reporters at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

"We have one of the best physical [trainers] in Africa [Majdi]. It's not a physical aspect but a mental thing." 

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Majdi came with a big reputation from North Africa due to highly regarded physical conditioning work at Raja Casablanca and Wydad Casablanca.

The Tunisian was also the expert behind the physical conditioning of players at Etoile du Sahel, when they won the league in 2022/23, before moving to Morocco.

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