Nabi's Toyota Cup learnings...

With the new Betway Premiership season on the horizon, Kaizer Chiefs have played six televised preseason friendlies. Saturday's 0-0 draw against Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup was the latest fixture in coach Nasreddine Nabi's quest to prepare his side for a grueling season ahead. What did we learn from the match? Is the Tunisian-Belgian coach on the verge of settling on his best starting lineup? With question marks over every position, he must make big calls ahead of a trip on Sunday, 10 August to face Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium. With some key players on the treatment table, could we see a pathway opening up for youth players to get their big chance? And will a fitness-focused preseason bear fruit in the early weeks of the campaign? Soccer Laduma investigates.

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Six friendlies, one win, three goals scored

After a whirlwind trip to the Netherlands to play five friendlies in nine days, the match against Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko was a chance to settle back into football on local shores. Unfortunately, a very poor playing surface greeted Kaizer Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium. After the lush carpets in Europe, this was a return to reality. Overall, Amakhosi have played six friendlies with just one win, a 1-0 success against PEC Zwolle. With just three goals scored, one suspects Nabi may have some games planned behind closed doors to boost confidence in the final third.

Whilst preseason results are rarely a good indication of how a team will perform in the season ahead, performance levels and team chemistry are a good gauge. Nabi himself admitted that his players spent most of their time in the Netherlands with very heavy legs after back-to-back matches and double training sessions.

Key players still on the treatment table

With the season so close, several important players are still nowhere to be seen. Paseka Mako seemingly broke his arm in an early training session and is yet to feature for his new club. Rushwin Dortley is back running but his return from a serious knee injury will likely keep him sidelined for a few more weeks. Given Msimango is another injury absence and Ashley Du Preez is out from a problem picked up after the first friendly of the preseason. Bradley Cross is another player who missed several friendlies after a knock versus Vitesse FC and Happy Mashiane stayed behind in Mzansi instead of flying to Europe.