Da Cruz Names the One Thing Standing Between Wandile Duba and Bafana Bafana

DA CRUZ SENDS STRONG MESSAGE TO WANDILE DUBA AS KAIZER CHIEFS STRIKER EYES BIGGER ACHIEVEMENTS

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — 11 NOVEMBER 2026

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has delivered an important message to rising striker Wandile Duba, explaining what the young forward must do to take his football career to another level following his impressive performances for the Soweto giants.

Duba has become one of the promising attacking players at Naturena, attracting attention through his goalscoring contributions and ability to trouble opposition defenders. However, despite recognising his enormous potential, Da Cruz believes there is still an important aspect of his game that requires improvement.

According to the Chiefs coach, consistency will be crucial if the 22-year-old wants to establish himself as one of the leading strikers in South African football.

Da Cruz has expressed satisfaction with Duba’s development, highlighting his movement, ability to drop deeper to participate in build-up play and intelligence when making runs behind opposition defences.

The French tactician believes these qualities make the youngster a valuable player for Amakhosi, but has challenged him to maintain his performances rather than delivering outstanding displays only occasionally.

Duba recently demonstrated his attacking potential when he scored a memorable hat-trick during Chiefs’ emphatic 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout competition at FNB Stadium.

That performance was particularly significant because it was the first top-flight hat-trick of his professional career.

The striker also received recognition from supporters following his outstanding contribution, further strengthening expectations surrounding his future at the club.

However, Da Cruz has made it clear that individual brilliance must be supported by discipline, hard work and continuous improvement.

The Chiefs coach has also suggested that Duba could eventually earn an opportunity with Bafana Bafana if he continues developing in the right direction.

He emphasised that the youngster must remain willing to learn from the technical team while maintaining the determination required to compete at the highest level.

For Kaizer Chiefs supporters, the message is encouraging because Duba represents an important part of the club’s future attacking plans.

At just 22, the forward still has considerable room for development, and regular opportunities could help him become a more complete striker.

Ultimately, Da Cruz’s expectations are clear: Duba possesses the necessary qualities, but consistency, hard work and willingness to listen to his coaches will determine how far he can go.

The challenge now is for the young striker to turn his promising performances into sustained success at Naturena and potentially earn recognition on the international stage.

Source https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2120536286175936781

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