Sifiso Nxumalo, a key figure in Wandile Duba’s early football development, has weighed in on the player’s recent positional shift at Kaizer Chiefs.
Duba was nurtured by coach Sifiso Nxumalo at the now-defunct Lenasia Football Academy, based in a suburb south of Soweto in.
The young attacker joined the Chiefs youth development structures in 2019 at the tender age of 15 after showing promise while in action at coach Nxumalo’s academy. Interestingly, Nxumalo also mentored another Kaizer Chiefs star, Mduduzi Shabalala, at the academy.
Duba’s impressive performances for the Chiefs reserve side in the DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] caught the eye of then-coach Arthur Zwane. As a result, the striker was promoted to the senior team in the 2022/23 season. He made his debut in December 2022 against Golden Arrows, coming on as a substitute in a league game.
While Duba’s natural position is as a centre forward, the current Chiefs coach, Nasreddine Nabi, has deployed him as a winger. This tactical shift has seen Ranga Chivaviro take on the primary goal-scoring role.
Duba, now 20 years old, has openly acknowledged that the winger position is a new challenge for him. Despite the difficulties, he remains committed to giving his best for the Soweto giants.
In the ongoing campaign, the talented youngster has already made seven appearances across all competitions, contributing two assists to his Amakhosi efforts.
WHAT SIFISO NXUMALO SAID ABOUT WANDILE DUBA’S SHIFT IN POSITION
Nxumalo is confident that Duba, despite the novelty of the winger position, will eventually adapt to his new role as he gains more experience.
The mentor further revealed that when he was working with Duba, he first played him as an attacking midfielder, then later on used him as a main striker.
“At the academy, he played as an attacking midfielder alongside Mduduzi [Shabalala] and would play as a striker as well,” Nxumalo told FARPost.
“Wandile is a versatile player; he can play anywhere in attack. I think the coach is playing him there [as a winger] because of his abilities.
“He’s strong and fast; sometimes he needs him to track back [fullback or wingback]. Even with me, as much as he started as an attacking midfielder, I realised he has a very good eye for goals.
“For me, he needs time and patience to adapt to the position [winger], and then he will start delivering and performing very well.”
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