Is Dubai Ready to Step Up for the Chiefs? Nabi Shares His Insights.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has shared his insights on whether striker Wandile Duba has the potential to become a reliable goal-scorer for Amakhosi in the forthcoming season, following the young player’s efforts against Mamelodi Sundowns over the weekend.

The 20-year-old center-forward played a crucial role in Chiefs’ comeback, scoring the equalizer to help secure a 2-1 win against the Brazilians, while substitute Ashley du Preez capped off the victory with a decisive goal in the dying moments, eliminating Miguel Cardoso’s team from the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

Since being promoted to the senior squad in the 2022/23 season, Duba has showcased his goal-scoring ability with six goals and three assists in 21 appearances across all competitions this season for the Naturena-based club.

Now, the Tunisian coach has highlighted an important consideration regarding the Chiefs academy product, stressing that mental preparedness will be vital for the player’s long-term development as a top-notch footballer.

“Regarding Duba, I think he has a lot of quality, both physically and technically. The primary concern we continuously address with him is his mental aspect,” Nabi conveyed through translator and assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef.

“We understand that young players, when they start playing regularly for a club with a dedicated fanbase like Kaizer Chiefs, might not always be psychologically prepared. Therefore, we aim to tackle this challenge during our training.”

Despite acknowledging that Duba has potential for improvement, Nabi remains confident that the young talent can step up as a significant player in the attacking lineup for the upcoming season as they work to enhance their goal-scoring capabilities.

This underscores the young player’s significance in the overall strategy envisioned by the Chiefs coach.

“Last season, I believe he made considerable progress, and he could be either a primary or secondary striker next season; if he delivers effective solutions for us, why not?” stated the 59-year-old, who guided the Soweto giants to their first domestic cup final since 2019 in his inaugural season.

Eager to break a four-match winless streak, Chiefs will return to Betway Premiership action with an away matchup against Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday [17:30].

The Glamour Boys have achieved two victories in their last five league matches against the Chilli Boys, while the Chippa Mpengesi-owned side has also secured two wins, with their previous encounter resulting in a goalless draw in August 2023.