South Africa glamour side Kaizer Chiefs have abruptly cut ties with their Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi, a bombshell that lands just three days before their CAF Confederation Cup opener in Angola.
The 60-year-old had overseen a lively start to the South African Premiership, winning four of five matches before a 3-1 loss to Sekhukhune United on Tuesday.
Yet by Wednesday, Johannesburg buzzed with reports that Chiefs had terminated his contract.
The club had not released an official statement by last night.
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Sources in South Africa say the trigger was Nabi's lack of a CAF Pro coaching licence, which is required to sit on the bench in continental inter-club competitions. He holds a UEFA Pro Licence but CAF doesn't accept that alone.
Other reports point to personal turmoil.
Last month Chiefs gave Nabi compassionate leave after his wife was seriously injured in Tunisia. iDiski Times said he wanted to return home permanently.
Either way, the timing is brutal. Amakhosi play Angola's Kabuscorp in Luanda on Saturday. Assistants Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, who guided the team during Nabi's absence, are likely to take charge.
Nabi's exit ends a turbulent 15-month stay.
He arrived from Morocco's FAR Rabat, having won back-to-back Tanzanian league titles with Young Africans and taken them to a CAF Confederation Cup final.
At Chiefs he stopped a 10-year trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup, but his league campaign disappointed, with a ninth-place finish last season.
This term promised better. Chiefs were sitting third and looked more organised after a raft of signings. But insiders often spoke of tension in the camp and players struggling to connect with the coach.
The licensing issue and his family crisis may have given the club the perfect moment to act.
For Zimbabwean readers, Nabi's sudden fall is a reminder of the fine line between glory and chaos in southern African football. Just as Simba Bhora juggle CAF requirements, coaching badges and off-field pressures can make or break a season. Chiefs' next move will be watched closely across the region, with the Confederation Cup and league ambitions now in the hands of his deputies.
