Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has offered a tactical breakdown of Wandile Duba’s new role following the attacker’s early-season struggles at Naturena.
Duba opened the scoring in Chiefs’ 2-0 triumph over Magesi FC in a Betway Premiership clash at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night. Fellow academy graduate Mfundo Vilakazi then rose from the bench in the second half to net the insurance goal, guaranteeing the Glamour Boys all three points.
The result marks back-to-back victories for Amakhosi, following their narrow 1-0 win against Durban City FC at FNB Stadium last weekend. These six points have arrested a damaging four-match winless skid.
Prior to this resurgence, Chiefs had endured a dismal run of three consecutive league defeats at the hands of Stellenbosch FC, Orlando Pirates, and Richards Bay FC, while also crashing out of the CAF Confederation Cup group stages following a loss to Egyptian giants Zamalek SC.
That toxic run of form left the Amakhosi faithful disgruntled, culminating in a protest march to the Naturena Village where supporters handed over a memorandum demanding the immediate axing of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef.
However, the coaching duo now appear to be steadying the ship as they hunt for a top-three finish to secure CAF inter-club qualification. Their efforts have been significantly bolstered by the return of Duba from a lengthy injury layoff.
The 21-year-old has started the last two fixtures for Chiefs, finally opening his scoring account for the season against Magesi. It is a welcome turn of fortune for the striker, who suffered through a frustrating first half of the campaign marred by injuries and a subsequent dip in form.
KAZE EXPLAINS WHY DUBA PLAYED IN THE WIDE POSITION INSTEAD OF A NATURAL STRIKER
The Lanesia-born striker made his debut for Chiefs in December 2022 after gaining promotion from the club’s DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] side to the first team. In his spell with the Amakhosi senior team, Duba has made 54 appearances across all competitions so far, scoring seven goals while also providing four assists.
Kaze has given an assessment of Duba’s qualities, suggesting that the attacker is more dangerous when playing in the wing position instead of a natural striker. “It was a very good performance from Duba. We want players who are challenging for a position in the team because he is an important player,” said the Amakhosi coach.
“He has shown his qualities from last season, we need him, and sometimes you sleep on what you have done, maybe because at the moment you are not doing enough, but I believe that he’s coming back, and the goal he scored [against Magesi] is what we asked for.
“We didn’t play him as a striker because we think that when he comes from a further position, he can get into the box and have more space to finish because he’s a fast player and he likes to run. So we believe that when he’s coming from a further position, he can get to the box and score.”
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