Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has hailed Wandile Duba’s performances in the Carling Knockout Cup, backing the striker for a nod in the Bafana Bafana squad.
Duba scored a decisive hat-trick as Chiefs claimed a convincing 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy in the Last 16 of the Carling Cup at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Chiefs development graduate scored all three goals in the second half, ending the club’s recent slump, which saw them crash out of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round with a 3-2 defeat against Zambia’s Red Arrows FC on penalties.
Amakhosi joined Golden Arrows, Siwelele FC, Sekhukhune United, and AmaZulu FC in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns also booked their place in the last eight with wins against Milford FC and Marumo Gallants, respectively, on Tuesday.
After powering Chiefs to the next round of the CKO, Duba earned high praise from Da Cruz, who says the 22-year-old could be called up for Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana team if he remains consistent.
WANDILE DUBA URGED TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY
“He is young and a very good player. He’s able to drop and make deep runs, and he’s very good in front of goal,” Da Cruz said, speaking after Chiefs’ impressive win at FNB Stadium last night.
“But he must continue to work and listen to the coach, and maybe if he continues to work hard, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana.”
Duba has enjoyed a promising start to the 2026/27 season, having featured in seven matches across all competitions and scored six goals. Following his impressive performance, Duba walked away with R100 000 after being named the Man of the Match—a fan-voted award.
The pacey forward will look to maintain his scoring run when Chiefs face Orlando Pirates in a mouth-watering Soweto Derby in the Betway Premiership this coming weekend.
Both Chiefs and Pirates head into the derby high in confidence, having claimed wins in their respective Carling Knockout Cup Last 16 matches by three-goal margins.
Meanwhile, Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz has faced heavy criticism in recent matches for deploying a defensive set-up that has left the Naturena-based side lacking spark in attack.
Before their win against Galaxy, Da Cruz was winless at Chiefs across five consecutive matches in all competitions. Following that lean run, fans began calling for the 54-year-old mentor’s sacking; however, the club’s sporting director, Kaizer Motaung Jr, declared his full support for the coach and his technical team in a statement on Saturday.
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