With 6 goals in 8 matches this season, 22-year-old Kaizer Chiefs striker Wandile Duba is catching the eye of his coach Fernando da Cruz, who sees him one day in the Bafana Bafana squad.
On Saturday, at FNB Stadium, Kaizer Chiefs lost the Soweto derby 2-1 to Orlando Pirates, in which Wandile Duba missed a big chance. Since then, the 22-year-old striker has remained at the centre of discussion: his coach Fernando da Cruz spoke of him as a future Bafana Bafana player, according to the Sowetan.
The timing is no coincidence. Pitso Mosimane, South Africa’s head coach, is due to announce his final squad for the double header against Kenya before the end of the week. In the preliminary squad, only Lebohang Maboe represents the Chiefs. Da Cruz, for his part, is mainly talking about the future.
A hat-trick and six goals
The numbers give weight to the coach’s words. According to the Sowetan, Duba has scored 6 goals in 8 matches in all domestic competitions since the start of the season.
The youngster notably claimed his first career hat-trick in the 3-0 win over TS Galaxy in the first round of the Carling Knockout. A special evening that contrasts with the derby, where he missed a big chance in the 2-1 defeat to the Pirates.
“I am very happy for Duba. He is a young player, so he sometimes has many highs and lows. He must improve his consistency.” Fernando da Cruz’s assessment highlights the room for improvement as much as the potential.
The profile described by da Cruz
The coach does not stop at finishing. He describes a player who can drop deep and attack the space in behind: “He is a very good young player. He is capable of dropping back and making runs in behind. He is very good in front of goal, but he must keep working hard, listening to the coaches.”
And he opened the door to a logical next step: “maybe if he keeps working hard, he could become a Bafana Bafana player”. A conditional phrase that shows esteem without promising a call-up, while Pitso Mosimane’s squad is not yet known.
Duba will therefore still have to convince the head coach: the preliminary squad for Kenya includes only one Kaizer Chiefs player, according to the Sowetan.
Kenya, Mokwana and schedule
The Bafana Bafana, winners over Guinea and Eritrea in the last FIFA window, top Group D, according to the Sowetan. The first match is set for 13 November at 6pm at Orlando Amstel Arena, before the return match in Nairobi four days later.
Behind the scenes, Kaizer Chiefs are also busy. The club is expected to complete the signing of 27-year-old Elias Mokwana in the coming days, a player without a club since leaving Esperance de Tunis in September, according to the Sowetan. The arrival has not yet been made official by the Amakhosi.
For now, Duba therefore has only his coach’s statement to fuel his national team ambitions, while waiting for the squad that Pitso Mosimane is due to publish before the end of the week.