CHIEFS OFF THE MARK
FINALLY: TEENAGE STRIKER GIVES AMAKHOSI THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE YEAR Duba shows the grown-ups how it’s done as his goal sees off Golden Arrows.
Teenage striker Wandile Duba showed the grown-ups how it’s done yesterday, netting a superb first goal for Kaizer Chiefs in his first start for the senior team, as Amakhosi beat Golden Arrows 1-0 in a DStv Premiership encounter at FNB Stadium.
The 19 year-old Duba’s 11th minute wonder-strike was Chiefs’ opening goal of 2024, following
on from three successive goalless draws, and enough for them to grab a first win of the year, giving Cavin Johnson’s side a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates.
Duba had previously made only a smattering of substitute appearances for Chiefs’ first team, but now has to be a decent bet to start against the Buccaneers, if he recovers in time after being stretchered off early in the second half.
Johnson has to get some praise, too, for throwing Duba into the fray against Arrows, with more experienced attacking options failing to impress.
Chiefs suffered an early scare as they failed to clear an Arrows corner properly and Nqobelo Dlamini hit a 4th minute screamer that Bruce Bvuma tipped around the post, though the shot
may have been going wide.
Duba’s effort in the 11th minute was only ever going to find the top corner of the net as he showed the finishing finesse his team has been so badly missing. The young attacker composed himself on the edge of the area, before curling a cracker past Sifiso Mlungwana from the edge of the box.
Arrows had lost ten games in row since beating Chiefs last October at the Mpumalanga Stadium, discounting the 3-0 win Mabhuti Khanyeza’s side were given over an absent Moroka Swallows at the end of last year.
And signs of strain in the Abafana Bes’thende camp were clear on the half hour mark as Mlungwana got in a row with Arrows captain Gladwin Shitolo, after the latter left a Mmodi cross, and the Arrows ‘keeper had to
push it away from goal.
The KZN side were causing Chiefs some problems on the break, and one counter-attack saw Knox Mutizwa fire a low shot just wide.
Khanyeza brought on January signing Moyela Libamba for the second half, and the Zambian striker certainly had an impact.
Arrows thought they had leveled the scores just seconds after the restart, but an offside flag correctly ruled out Mutizwa’s effort.
In the 48th minute, Libamba won a header and Mutizwa was onside as he raced through again, but this time he blazed over the bar.
Libamba had a great chance to level the scores for Arrows in the 65th minute, but Bvuma did well to stop his near post effort.