Nasreddine Nabi revealed the one thing holding back a Kaizer Chiefs star.
Amakhosis’ sensational youngster, Wandile Duba, is making headlines—and goals, but head coach Nasreddine Nabi says one key issue still stands between the 20-year-old and superstardom.
Duba continued his impressive run by scoring in Chiefs’ dramatic 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semifinal at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday. That win secured Chiefs a place in their first final in six years, where they’ll face bitter rivals Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on May 10.
Duba’s composure and Du Preez’s late winner
Chiefs trailed 1-0 at halftime after Teboho Mokoena unleashed a rocket just before the whistle. But they returned to the pitch with purpose. Duba pounced on a poor back pass from Lucas Ribeiro Costa, kept his cool, and slotted the equalizer past Sundowns’ shot-stopper Ronwen Williams.
Ashley Du Preez then sent the Amakhosi faithful into delirium with a last-gasp winner, ensuring a dramatic comeback and a trip to the final.
Numbers don’t lie: Duba outshines Chiefs strikers
Duba’s goal marked his sixth of the season in just 21 appearances—impressive for a player recently back from a knee injury. Even more telling, he’s now scored in back-to-back games after finding the net in a 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy the week prior.
That tally puts him ahead of fellow forwards Ranga Chivaviro and Ashley Du Preez, who both sit on five, while Tashreeq Morris remains goalless.
With form like this, many are wondering if Duba is ready to become Chiefs’ leading striker.
The Glamour Boys hierarchy are however still looking for an experienced proven goal scorer.
Nabi points to mental toughness as the missing link
After the match, coach Nasreddine Nabi acknowledged Duba’s raw talent but made it clear that mentality is the next hurdle the young star must overcome.
“Regarding Duba, I think he has a lot of qualities, physical qualities, technical qualities,” Nabi said.
“The only problem that we work on every time with Duba is that Duba has a mentality problem. You know how younger players are, when he starts to play [often] and with a lot of fans like Kaizer Chiefs, fans is always he’s not 100% ready mentally.”
Nabi added that Duba has made significant progress since last season and could soon become the club’s first-choice striker if he stays focused.
“So, for that, we are trying to work through that. From last season, I think he had a lot of progress to make, and he can make it, why not? If he gives us solutions as a first or second striker next season, [Then he will be Chiefs’ number one striker],” the coach added.
Before the high-stakes Nedbank Cup final, Chiefs and Pirates will clash in a crucial Soweto Derby on May 3 to settle league matters. But all eyes will be on Duba, the Chiefs’ emerging star, who now has a golden chance to cement his place as the club’s top striker.
Stay tuned with The South African as Nasreddine Nabi revealed the one thing holding back Kaizer Chiefs’ rising star.
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