Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has singled out one of his charges, who came back into the thick of things after a lengthy period on the sidelines, for praise despite a 2-0 defeat to Polokwane City.
The Soweto giants' top four ambitions suffered another setback as they were beaten by Rise and Shine at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.
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Amakhosi target Oswin Appollis opened the scoring in the first half after some neat passing movement that started from the goalkeeper, before Mokibelo Ramabu doubled the lead after a Yusuf Maart pass was intercepted in the dying minutes.
As a consequence, Nabi's men have slipped down to ninth on the Betway Premiership table with just one win from their last five matches.
However, one a somewhat positive note, the club's supporters got to see Tebogo Potsane back in action after a long time out, as he made his first appearance of the season from the substitutes' bench.
The 31-year-old has been sidelined with an injury.
He was a constant threat on the left wing and was unfortunate not to grab a goal as his superb shot from distance came off the crossbar.
"It's normal for people to talk, no problem," Nabi said on SuperSport TV, responding to a question about his substitutions.
"I think I am very happy for the return of Potsane, he created too many opportunities for us.
"I'm very happy about that, I explained to my team that he would come back. These situations sometimes will give you a plus, sometimes the player is not in [form]. This is football."
Polokwane City put the final nail in the Amakhosi coffin ??
— SuperSport Football ?? (@SSFootball) December 8, 2024
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With reports of a rift between star midfielder Gaston Sirino and Nabi, the ensuing scenario could likely see the former Royal AM man take over the starting role at left wing.
The Soweto giants will have seven days of preparation and will hope to have found solutions when they meet TS Galaxy on Monday, 16 December at Mbombela Stadium.