Kaizer Chiefs’ striker Wandile Duba arrived like a house on fire in the top-flight last season, scoring a screamer on his full debut against Golden Arrows.
Duba’s goal was crucial for Amakhosi as it was their first for the new year, while it also sealed their first win of the second half of the season.
The 19-year-old bagged ample confidence from that goal that he sent a daring warning to their then next opponent, Orlando Pirates.
Speaking on SuperSport TV, he said; “Abangilindele ngiyeza (They must expect me, I am coming)”. He played for the last 25 minutes in the Soweto derby, and didn’t show up.
And since then, the Lenasia-born striker was in and out of coach Cavin Johnson’s team as Chiefs huffed and puffed, only to finish 10th in the league.
Enter Nasreddine Nabi. The new Chiefs’ coach has brought positive energy at the club since his arrival in winter, and Duba has got a lifeline.
Duba has played in all three Betway Premiership matches since the start of the season, including coming off the bench to provide the assist in the opener away to Marumo Gallants.
In the three games, Nabi has deployed Duba, who is a natural No 9, to various positions, mostly as a winger, while he had to also play as wing-back against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Duba is not sulking and complaining about the change in position. Instead, he’s happy to wear his heart on his sleeve and play wherever Nabi wants him to.
“I only realised now with coach Nabi that I can play in the wings. He’s the one who prefers me on the sides based on my speed and brains,” Duba said.
“But I don’t mind the change of position. I am a player who’s willing to work. So, wherever I am deployed (by the coach) I will play.”
Duba is ready to run the hard yards so much so that he’s also willing to step-up to the occasion should Nabi want him to cover-up for Ranga Chivaviro as the target man.
“For sure, after all, my natural position is a striker,” Duba said. “I also think if coach Nabi sees that Ranga has too much pressure, he’ll make small changes.”
Duba is part of a brigade of youngsters, which includes Mfundo Vilakazi, Samkelo Zwane, Mduduzi Shabalala, who have been trusted by Nabi to contribute this season.
And while Duba and Co are encouraged by the belief they’ve got from the Tunisian, he says anyone who’s good enough in the team plays under Nabi.
“We are encouraged. But coach Nabi believes in the players who work hard, not just the youngsters,” he said. “If you work hard, you’ll play, regardless of whether you are young or old.
“Coach Nabi is different because all he wants is just wins and a (good) mentality from the players. He doesn’t want a player who’ll score, and then rest on his laurels.”
DDC Awards
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) June 13, 2022
Most Improved Player - Wandile Duba
Defender of the Season - Siyabonga Gumede
Attacking Player of the Season - Wandile Duba
Top Goal Scorer - Mduduzi Shabalala
Player of the Season - Mduduzi Shabalala
Players' Player of the Season - Siyabonga Gumede#KCYouth pic.twitter.com/zwHx4lLxQg
And while the youngsters are already regarded as key contributors in the team, Nabi has an open-door policy for them should they have any questions.
“If there’s something that we don’t understand, we go to him and ask: ‘coach what do you want and how do we go about a certain thing?’,” Duba said.
“He’ll explain to you and call you to his office to explain everything to a youngster who wants to understand his modern football philosophy.”
Duba and Co will return to Free Stadium this afternoon (3pm) to play Marumo Gallants in the Cufa Cup friendly, their first visit to the venue since that 2-1 win in the league last month.
Before that they had also hosted Young Africans in the pre-season tournament Toyota Cup at the same venue, losing 4-0.
And having sold out both matches at the stadium, and the other two games in the league, today’s match is expected to pull an impressive crowd as well, albeit being a friendly.
Duba and his fellow youngsters are not fazed by playing in front of huge numbers anymore. After all, they’ve been doing that in the reserves.
“If you watched our DDC (DStv Diski Challenge) games, we were doing this – selling out games. So, there’s no pressure on us anymore. It’s just like coming to training with supporters,” he said.