Kaizer Chiefs' lack of marquee signings has sounded alarm in some quarters, but it's not all doom and gloom for head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
Chiefs have only officially signed goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari, Rushwin Dortley, Bongani Sam and Gaston Sirino in the current transfer window.
The signing of Sirino may have brought some excitement among the Khosi Nation, but at 33, it is hardly a marquee or quality addition that would significantly influence the team.
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Amakhosi have in the past relied on star players to carry the team and almost single-handedly influence the side to victories.
However, the lack of so-called star players currently could work in Nabi's favour, in rebuilding a team that can finally accommodate special players once the core parts start to click.
In a recent interview with Soccer Laduma, Keagan Dolly revealed that he felt expectations were too much on his shoulders to carry the team on the pitch, especially with reports that he was the highest-paid player at the club.
Former Moroka Swallows midfielder Mark Haskins believes special players like Dolly can only reach their full potential if they are surrounded by quality players.
"It's unfortunate that's the circumstance he [Dolly] found himself in. It speaks to why it's important to have a quality squad. It's okay to buy quality players here and there, but football has evolved to a point where one player can't, on his own, effect the entire the match. It's always gonna come to what you do as a collective," Haskins said on Metro FM Sports.
"If you have a good squad, that allows your special players to elevate their game and they make the difference in the end, and they can shine to the best of their abilities. It is needed in a collective environment.
"You look at a player like Messi, everyone says: 'Ja, but he had all these superstars around him, that's why he was able to shine'. It played a massive role in why Messi was able to be what he was [at Barcelona], because he had the Iniestas, the Xavis, the Busquets.
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"He had so much quality around him [and that] allowed him to shine, because he didn't need to do much, he didn't need to carry the entire team. It's unfortunate that Keagan says there was so much expected from him. That's why it's important to have a great squad around [special] players," Haskins added.
Nabi would still need to prove that he can improve the squad and a focus on a collective, rather than individual star players, could help the Soweto giants in a long run.