Duba backed to shine as Kaizer Chiefs return to MTN8 action

Kaizer Chiefs have been identified as a team capable of producing a stronger challenge in the MTN8, with striker Wandile Duba backed to make the difference when the pressure is greatest.

The club will play in the competition for the first time in three years when they face Golden Arrows in the quarter-finals at FNB Stadium on Sunday evening. Chiefs last featured in the MTN8 in September 2023, when they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by eventual winners Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals.

Duba’s reputation as a player for important occasions has grown through his performances against high-profile opponents. That standing was reinforced after he came off the bench to help Chiefs begin their Betway Premiership campaign with a 3-1 victory over Kruger United on Saturday.

Kaizer Chiefs club historian and statistician Yusuf Muhammad believes the forward has shown an ability to produce performances that can shape a season.

“You know those performances he (Duba) put up against Sundowns, even the season before when we won the Nedbank Cup, those are season-defining moments, those are title-deciding performances,” Muhammad said on Kaizer Chiefs Radio.

The meeting with Golden Arrows comes after a difficult period for Amakhosi. Chiefs finished 10th in the Betway Premiership in the 2023/24 season, the lowest position in the club’s history. They also ended the campaign outside the league’s top eight for a second successive season, having previously finished ninth.

Despite that league disappointment, Chiefs did lift the Nedbank Cup. Their more recent league campaign brought a measure of recovery, as they secured third place in the 2025/26 term. That result earned them a place in the MTN8 quarter-finals, where they were drawn against sixth-placed Golden Arrows.

Muhammad says Duba’s previous displays against Sundowns underline why he can be trusted in matches with major consequences.

“Because of the way they played against Sundowns…Remember last season we took four points off Sundowns and effectively helped Pirates win the title, because we took more points off Sundowns than Pirates themselves. These are moments and games where the coach can say ‘I believe he can do it’.

The club historian also pointed to Duba’s development within the Chiefs system as a factor behind his ability to understand what is required in demanding matches.

“There’s always something about homegrown players, Duba came seven or eight years ago, when he was a junior he just started scoring goals immediately and players from the juniors know what they need to do, they understand the DNA and the culture of a team,” Muhammad added.

Chiefs will now hope Duba can carry that record into their first MTN8 appearance since the 2023 semi-final defeat. Their quarter-final against Golden Arrows offers the club an opportunity to build on their improved league position and continue their response to the setbacks of recent seasons.