Kaizer Chiefs forward Wandile Duba has revealed the intense and often brutal criticism he’s faced from fans, sharing that some have even gone as far as to send him death threats.
The talented forward has been the leading striker for Chiefs in the new Betway Premiership season, with the club’s technical team, led by Nasreddine Nabi, showing massive belief in his quality.
Duba has already donned the gold and black jersey of Amakhosi on four occasions in the league this season and registered one assist.
In the previous campaign, the 21-year-old had played a pivotal role in helping the Chiefs end their ten-year trophy drought by lifting the 2025 Nedbank Cup with a 2-1 victory over their rivals, Orlando Pirates, in May. Last season, Duba featured in 25 games across all competitions, netting five goals and chipping in with three assists.
Duba, who is known for his bullish character, has been criticised on social media in the past few days, with opposition supporters claiming that he’s a malicious player.
WANDILE DUBA REVEALS THAT HE’S GETTING DEATH THREATS
The Chiefs’ development product has responded to the criticism, stating that it doesn’t affect him despite receiving death threats.
“Being criticised is part of the job. If you do good, they talk, and if you do bad, they still talk. So I just need to focus on what I do best,” Duba said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Nedbank multipurpose court handover at Phulong Secondary School in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on Wednesday.
“It doesn’t affect me; it’s just the comments people are threatening to kill me, and in the last game [against Golden Arrows], I wasn’t in the right state of mind, so I didn’t even go to play.
“These things don’t frustrate me that much, so I usually just talk to my brother, and he always guides me. At times, I feel like sending a text back after getting a negative comment or someone swearing at me.”
In the current campaign, Duba is facing tough competition in the striking force after Chiefs signed Flavio Silva and Etiosa Ighodaro.
The Glamour Boys have Tashreeq Morris, Ashley Du Preez, Silva, Ighodaro, and Duba competing for a spot in the starting line-up as the club looks to continue achieving positive results.
So far, Chiefs have won four league games and drawn one in the opening five matches of the campaign. They are currently positioned second on the table with 13 points.
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