Duba fires up Chiefs as they edge past Arrows

Teenage striker Wandile Duba showed the grown-ups how it’s done on Tuesday, 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’ first goal of 2024, 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 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 so far this year.

Chiefs suffered an early scare as they failed to clear an Arrows corner properly and Nqobelo Dlamini hit a 4^th minute screamer that Bruce Bvuma tipped around the post, though the shot may have been going wide anyway.

Duba’s effort in the 11^th minute, however, 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 in 2024. Pule Mmodi did well to win back possession for Chiefs, and Dube gathered possession, 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 after Moroka Swallows failed to turn up for their league match at the end of last year.

Signs of strain

And signs of strain in the Abafana Bes’thende camp were clear on the half hour mark as Mlungwana got in a row with Arrrows captain Gladwin Shitolo, after the latter left a Mmodi cross, and the Arrows ‘keeper had to push it away from goal.

The KZN side, however, were causing Chiefs some problems on the break, and one counter-attack saw Knox Mutizwa, the two-goal hero against Chiefs last October, fire a low shot just wide.

Duba, meanwhile, must have been relieved to see the offside flag raised three minutes before the break, as he shanked a Zitha Kwinika into the side netting.

Khanyeza brought on January signing Moyela Libamba for the second half, and the Zambian striker certainly had an impact as Arrows came flying out of the blocks.

Arrows thought they had leveled the scores just seconds after the restart, but another offside flag correctly ruled out Mutizwa’s effort.

In the 48^th minute, Libamba won a header and Mutizwa was onside as he raced through again, but this time he blazed way over the bar.

Duba seemed to cramp up, perhaps from a lack of match fitness, and had to be taken off in the 57th minute, replaced by Jasond Gonzalez, while Christian Saile was replaced by Ashley Du Preez.

Libamba had a great chance to level the scores for Arrows in the 65^th minute, but Bvuma did well to stop his near post effort.