Kaizer Chiefs striker Wandile Duba has shared the promise Khanyisa Mayo made to him, which has him fired up. The 21-year-old has started four matches this season and has come on as a substitute in one.
He has yet to score but has provided one assist. Duba admitted it wasn’t the start he hoped for, but he believes Mayo’s intervention could be the turning point for him.
“I think I didn’t start my season very well, that’s why the coach ended up taking me out of the team. I wasn’t giving him what he wanted. I’m still working on myself, being better, and getting back to the starting lineup,” Duba said.
“I think every coach needs a striker who scores for his team because Flavio [Silva] and Mayo got into the team and both scored. I wasn’t doing that. But with the tactics and everything, I think I was doing it very well, but it was just a matter of me hitting the net.”
WHAT MAYO SAID TO WANDILE DUBA
The Chiefs academy graduate shares insights about a recent conversation with Mayo, who recently joined the club on loan from Algeria’s CR Belouizdad. The former Cape Town City FC striker has already made his mark by scoring in the 1-1 draw against Marumo Gallants. It appears that Duba looks up to him and is eager to learn from his experience.
“I think we were playing against [Kabuscorp] in the CAF game. When we came back for the training session, Mayo came to me in the morning and was like, ‘You and I will work well together. If it means remaining behind together and practising shooting, I’m happy to do so. With the kind of experience the new strikers have, I think I will learn a lot to get back to my best,” Duba added.
Duba fully understands the demands of playing for Kaizer Chiefs and is prepared to embrace them.
“As a Kaizer Chiefs player, there’s always going to be pressure, but you have to play under the pressure. And being a striker at Kaizer Chiefs is not easy because not scoring for two games is a big issue. You know how our fans are. If you don’t score, you go out. Even for the coaches.”
Meanwhile, Amakhosi welcome coach Arthur Zwane’s AmaZulu FC at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday and Duba expects a demanding game. “Every team, when they come to play against Kaizer Chiefs, they give their best, and it’s not going to be an easy game.”
Usuthu are coming off a 3-1 loss to TS Galaxy in their previous match and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways. Zwane’s charges have won three, drew twice and lost twice.
RELATED STORY: Wandile Duba tips Chiefs to win league title