Da Cruz backs Chiefs hat-trick hero Duba for Bafana but with conditions

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz believes striker Wandile Duba can become an option for Bafana Bafana boss Pitso Mosimane in the near future.

Duba is basking in the glory of his hat-trick for Chiefs during their 3-0 Carling Knockout Round of 16 win over TS Galaxy on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old scored the three goals in 18 second-half minutes as the Glamour Boys turned on the style after the break to down the Rockets and make it to the quarter-final.

Da Cruz tips Duba for Bafana but…

Reacting to Duba’s performance, Da Cruz was full of praise for the young forward, tipping him for a national team role but with a caveat.

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

“He is a young player who is very good, and 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 and listen to the coaches, and maybe if he does this, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana.”

Chiefs players largely overlooked

Chiefs players have largely missed out on national team call-ups in recent years with only Bradley Cross making the squad for the 2026 World Cup while Lebohang Maboe is so far the only star from Naturena to impress Mosimane.

Duba therefore has a big job on his hands to reach that level given the stiff competition for places in attack and he will need to improve remarkably to catch the eye of Mosimane.

The striker has so far scored six goals in all competitions this season but he will need to do it consistently to be trusted for a spot in the national team.