Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz believes his young talisman Wandile Duba has what it takes to break into the Bafana Bafana setup, after his hat-trick against TS Galaxy.

Duba’s three goals ensured safe passage for Chiefs into the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout Cup, with a comfortable 3-0 win at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.

His heroics also saw the outspoken striker walk away with a handsome R100 000 cheque after being voted man of the match by the fans.

“I am very happy for Duba. He is a young player who sometimes has a lot of ups and downs,” Da Cruz said after the game.
“He must improve his consistency. He is a good, young player that is able to drop deep and to make clever runs. He is very good in front of goal.

“But he must continue to work hard and listen to the coach, and maybe if he continues to work hard, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana,” a visibly relieved Da Cruz added.

Duba, who is a Chiefs youth product, is known for his energy inside the final third of the opposition and aggressiveness towards defenders. The 22-year-old has found the back of the net six times in seven games so far this season in all competitions.

His power and agility were tested during the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates earlier last year, when he stood his ground against the sheer strength of bullish defender Mbekezeli ‘TLB’ Mbokazi.

With new Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane at the helm and previously stating his desire to have more strikers coming up, Duba may just have a sniff, especially with the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) next year.

However, that will be determined by whether he really does remain consistent, listens to Da Cruz, and continues being a menace for defenders.