Duba defiant as Kaizer Chiefs striker shrugs off criticism and death threats

Wandile Duba always wears his heart on his sleeve whenever he takes the field for Kaizer Chiefs — something that has made him both a hero and a villain at the same time.

Duba burst onto the professional scene at the Glamour Boys two seasons ago, scoring a peach of a goal on debut against Golden Arrows in the league.

The 21-year-old showed his bravery in the post-match press conference, warning rivals Orlando Pirates that he was coming for them in the next game. Alas, he didn’t start the game. But it was clear that Duba was fearless despite his tender age.

Last season, he was back at it. He scored the equaliser in the 2-1 win over Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-final and walked away with the Player of the Match award.

In his pre-match media duties, he showed his confident side again, declaring: “Niyothi Ngasho Ukuthi iNedbank Cup Siyayithatha” (You’ll remember my words: we are taking the Nedbank Cup). His words came true as Chiefs won the competition, beating rivals Pirates in the final to end their 10-year drought.

But for all his skill, confidence, and hunger to succeed, Duba has been criticised for being overly aggressive. He has taken out a number of players with his hard tackles, including midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula in the Nedbank Cup final.

His aggression has unfortunately attracted heavy backlash on social media, with threats even being made against his life.

“No, it’s part of the job — you do well, they talk; you do badly, they also talk,” said Duba of the criticism. “I keep focusing on what I do best, and I don’t mind the negative comments.

“So, it doesn’t affect me. It’s just comments. But people come into your account on social media, threatening to kill you and all that. In the last game, I wasn’t even in the right state of mind, so I didn’t play.”

Admitting that some comments have gotten to him, Duba revealed what has helped him stay calm during this turbulent time.

“I don’t think the threats frustrate me too much, but I usually talk to my brother, and he always calms me down,” Duba said. “At times, I feel like talking back when I get a negative text or when someone swears at me.”

Amid the criticism and backlash, there have been rumours linking the youngster with a move away from Chiefs. But he denied those claims, insisting that he will stay at the club and work hard to be the main man up front.

“I think last season I showed that I am ready for anything and to be Kaizer Chiefs’ No. 1 striker,” Duba said.

“I am happy that there’s Flavio (Silva) and (Etiosa) Ighodaro, who I will be able to learn from. They’ve been there and played at the highest level.

“But even last season, the other strikers were also pushing me to work harder and be No 1. I don’t think their arrival will change much. I will still work harder.”

Duba and company have had the best possible start to life this season, with Chiefs going into the Fifa break unbeaten — after four wins and one draw — and yet to concede.

He has lifted the lid on their impressive start, and why they believe they can win the coveted Betway Premiership title this season for the first time since the 2014/15 campaign.

“I think we started the season very well because we are now stronger and understand the coach (Nasreddine Nabi) much better. So, I think we’ll win more games this season,” Duba explained.

“We always start the season wanting to win the league, but we haven’t done that. This season, though, we’ve started very well. So, there are high hopes that we can go all the way. We believe in ourselves more this season.

“I think in the Netherlands, the day before we came back, we had a chat with the players and coaches after training, and we set targets for ourselves. So, I think there’s more camaraderie among the players.”