Duba’s Hatrick Earns Bafana Bafana Backing From Chiefs Coach
Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz believes hat-trick hero Wandile Duba has the potential to represent Bafana Bafana if he continues to develop and improve his consistency.
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The 22-year-old forward wrote his name into Kaizer Chiefs history at FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening, scoring all three goals in a commanding 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout round of 16. Duba became the first Amakhosi player in the PSL era to score a hat-trick in a League Cup competition, and the first Chiefs player to score a treble since Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana achieved the feat against Stellenbosch FC in October 2022.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Da Cruz was full of praise for Duba while tempering expectations about the young attacker’s development.
“I’m very happy for Duba, because he’s a young player,” said Da Cruz.
“Sometimes, he has a lot of ups and downs. He must improve his consistency. He’s a good player; he’s able to drop and make deep runs. He’s very good in front of goal, but he must continue to work hard and listen to the coach. Maybe if he continues to work very hard, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana.”
Duba’s clinical finishing proved the difference after a goalless first half at the Nasrec venue. The Mkhondo-born striker opened the scoring just three minutes after the restart, converting Pule Mmodi’s low cross following a well-worked move involving Mduduzi Shabalala and Mmodi on the right flank.
His second goal came in the 62nd minute after Melusi Mathebula saved Mfundo Vilakazi’s penalty, only for the ball to rebound off the post. Duba reacted quickest to tap home from close range. The penalty had been awarded after Veluyeke Zulu brought down Shabalala inside the box.
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Duba completed his historic hat-trick just four minutes later, racing onto a precise through-ball from Shabalala before finishing past the Galaxy goalkeeper. The three goals were scored in an 18-minute spell that sent Kaizer Chiefs, also known as Amakhosi, into the quarter-finals of the competition.
The performance took Duba’s tally to six goals in seven domestic appearances across all competitions in the 2026/27 season. The former Lenasia Football Academy product joined the Chiefs youth structures in 2019 and made his senior debut on December 31, 2022, against Golden Arrows.
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