Nabi’s FAR lose to Raja in cup final clearing way for Chiefs announcement

Nasreddine Nabi’s AS FAR Rabat lost 2-1 to Raja Casablanca in the Moroccan Throne Cup final on Monday night, which appears to have cleared the way for Kaizer Chiefs to announce the 58-year-old Tunisian as their head coach.

Speculative reporting that the Throne Cup final might be delayed for as much as 10 days after the death in Morocco on Saturday of the mother of King Mohammed V, Lalla Latifa Amahzoune, did not materialise and the match went ahead as planned on Monday night.

Chiefs announced on Sunday they would name their new head coach and his technical staff “soon”, without specifying a timeline.

Nabi has been heavily reported as the coach to take over at Naturena, where Chiefs are desperate to overturn a nine-year spell without trophies.

The arrival at OR Tambo International Airport two weekends ago of the 51-year-old Frenchman reported to be the man who Chiefs will hire as Nabi's assistant, Fernando da Cruz, greeted by Amakhosi sporting director Kaizer Motaung Junior, appeared confirmation Nabi is being lined up to coach the Soweto giants.

FAR Rabat finished second to Raja in the Throne Cup and the Moroccan top flight Botola league in 2023-24.

Chiefs on Monday announced they had parted ways with last season’s caretaker coach and previous head of the academy Cavin Johnson.