Kaizer Chiefs clinched the Nedbank Cup title with a 2-1 win against Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates in a thrilling final at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Coach Nasreddine Nabi praised his team's fighting spirit, revealing that a strong message from youngster Wandile Duba to his teammates at halftime played a key role in rallying the squad.
The match saw Chiefs take the lead through a Gaston Sirino penalty, quickly cancelled out by Pirates' Evidence Makgopa.
It took a venomous second-half volley from the Glamour Boys' captain to settle the tie with under 20 minutes left. While the skipper deservedly received the Man of the Match award, Nabi emphasised the impact of striker Duba's words during the break when the score was level.
NABI REVEALS DUBA’S MESSAGE TO CHIEFS PLAYERS AT HALF-TIME
“First of all, I want to congratulate all the players who were on the field, on the bench, because they wanted so much to win this cup, that everyone showed big character,” said Nabi as quoted by KickOff.
“Even at halftime, a player like Duba was screaming at players older than him at halftime, saying, ‘No, we are not good enough guys. We need to step up our play, we need to step up more, and everyone gave everything they could.
“Sometimes they were tired, sometimes they were injured, but everyone went beyond what they could do because everyone knew. It's something we spoke about even before the game, that everyone could be in the history of this club, after ten years.
“Everyone did everything they could, and the first people to congratulate are the players who did everything they could to win the final and to get here.”
