Amakhosi striker, who has scored six goals this season, expected to team up with Mokwana

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz has tipped his striker Wandile Duba for a Bafana Bafana call-up in the near future.

Amakhosi have struggled to have players in the national team in recent times as they’ve also hardly hit top form. Lebohang Maboe is the only Chiefs player in the current Bafana preliminary squad for two upcoming Afcon qualifiers against Kenya this month.

Duba has scored six goals in eight games across all domestic competitions this season. The 22-year-old striker missed a big chance in the first half of Saturday’s Soweto derby at FNB Stadium, where their biggest foes Orlando Pirates beat them 2-1.

Duba had scored his first career hat-trick to inspire Amakhosi to a 3-0 win over TS Galaxy in the first round of the Carling Knockout at the same venue, four days before the Soweto derby.

“I am very happy for Duba. He is a young player, and so sometimes he has a lot of ups and downs. He must improve his consistency,” Da Cruz said.

“He is a very good young player. He is able to drop back and make deep runs. He is very good in front of the goal, but he must continue to work hard, to listen to the coaches, and maybe if he continues to work hard, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana.”

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane is expected to announce his final squad, for the Kenya double fixture, before the end of this week. Bafana host Kenya at Orlando Amstel Arena on November 13 at 6pm, before facing them again in Nairobi four days later.

After winning their two opening qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea during the last Fifa window, SA top Group D of the qualifiers of next year’s Afcon in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Meanwhile, Chiefs also expected to conclude the signing of free agent Bafana international Elias Mokwana in the next few days. Mokwane, 27, is unattached after leaving Tunisian side Esperance in September.