Nasreddine Nabi Details Gruelling Kaizer Chiefs Pre-Season Camp in Europe

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has shed light on the intense and carefully structured pre-season camp his team recently completed in the Netherlands, revealing the rigorous methods employed to prepare for the demanding 2025/26 campaign.

The Soweto giants have just returned to South Africa after spending two weeks abroad, where they played five friendly matches. While only one resulted in a win, Nabi insists the trip was not about results, but rather laying the groundwork for success in both the DStv Premiership and the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup.

“Our camp took place in beautiful surroundings,” Nabi said via the club’s official channels. “The fields on which we trained were in perfect condition, and our opponents were really good. As a result of all this, the pre-season camp was beneficial to everyone.”

Nabi emphasized that the focus was on both the quality and quantity of the workload. The team trained up to twice daily, sometimes even on matchdays or the day before a fixture. The idea was to push players to their physical and mental limits — simulating the challenges of long-distance travel and congested schedules that await them in continental competitions.

“One of the conditions of having a good season is having a good pre-season — that’s where the foundation is laid,” Nabi explained.

The coach added that part of the strategy was to intentionally have the team play while feeling exhausted. “We did some tough physical work at training, even doing double sessions on the day before a match. We did this to have the players play games, feeling extremely fatigued. That was not only to prepare the team for the league season, but also for the CAF Confederation Cup games, for which we will often have to travel for long hours.”

In one of the more surprising insights, Nabi revealed that after one of the friendly games, the players were put through two training sessions the following day — a clear attempt to strengthen not just legs, but mental resilience.

Chiefs also scheduled back-to-back friendlies twice during the camp, ensuring that every player had an opportunity to earn valuable minutes on the pitch.

As the pre-season dust settles, Amakhosi now turn their attention to the Toyota Cup, where they are set to face Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. With a tough season ahead, Kaizer Chiefs will be hoping that the hard work in Europe translates into results back home and across the continent.