‘I can’t argue with the coach’: Chiefs’ Duba prefers playing at striker

Kaizer Chiefs' talented emerging forward Wandile Duba has admitted he prefers playing as a striker rather than a winger.

Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi has used Duba in both roles this season but the 20-year-old Amakhosi youth product says he's more effective and comfortable playing at striker.

He was speaking before Chiefs' Betway Premiership clash against Sekhukhune United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday — a game Amakhosi will play without Nabi on the bench as he earned a red card in their 1-0 defeat against Lamontville Golden Arrows in Durban on Sunday.

“Everyone knows from my time with the club in the DDC [Dstv Diski Challenge U-23 league] I play as a No 9. If I'm played as No 9, I give the team what they want,” Duba said at a media day at Chiefs' Village in Naturena on Thursday.

“I have discussed this with the coach but he plans in a different way for every game. I can't argue with the coach. My job is to get on the field and play.

“Even if he wants to play me as a centreback, I will get on the field and play because that's my job.”

Nabi and his technical staff have strived for answers to many posers in their tough challenge rebuilding Amakhosi from their nine past seasons without silverware.

It has largely been a battle, with inconsistent Chiefs in sixth place after 13 matches.

Duba called on his teammates to increase their focus during games, acknowledging part of their inconsistency has been due to an inability to concentrate throughout matches.

The forward has been one of his club's few in-form players, contributing four of the 16 goals the club has scored in the Premiership.

Chiefs have lost five of those 13 games, won five and drawn three, but Duba believes if they can improve their concentration they will have a stronger second half of the season.

“There's no game we're not supposed to win, but our problem has been losing concentration in those matches and missing chances,” said Duba.

“If you look at the Arrows game we lost an important chance [by Ranga Chivaviro in front of an open goal], a chance we were supposed to score to at least steal a point. This puts pressure on us because we as strikers are paid to score goals.

“If we don't take our chances we're putting our defenders under pressure. Our problem is lacking the concentration but the desire and mentality to win games is there.

“Even you guys [the media], if you check the stats you can see how many chances we're creating. Our attack is doing well, it's the defending we need to tighten up.”

Sixth-placed Chiefs have conceded the second most goals in the Premiership — as many as they have scored, 16 — after 13th place Marumo Gallants (21).

Duba said Chiefs' players have realised they need to improve their focus, adding their lapses have nothing to do with their fitness.

“No-one can function properly if he's not right mentally. I think all of us, as players, need to know that for 90 minutes we need to give our all. We can't afford to lose concentration until the final whistle.

“It's not a matter of fitness. Everyone has seen we've played three matches in seven days. We played Cape Town City [a 1-0 defeat], Stellies [Stellenbosch FC, a 2-1 win] and Arrows.”

The forward, whose four league goals include the brace that helped Chiefs beat Stellies last week, said if some tiredness creeps in at the end of games it is due to the punishing schedule. “The travelling causes a lot of exhaustion.”

Chiefs’ chameleon-like performances are displayed in their past 11 results in all competitions, which reads: LDLWDLDWLWL.