Wandile Duba produced a night to remember as Kaizer Chiefs powered into the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy.
The 22-year-old forward stole the spotlight at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night, scoring all three goals to fire Amakhosi into the next round — and in the process, he etched his name into the club’s history books.
After a cagey first half ended goalless, Duba finally broke the deadlock three minutes after the restart.
The Chiefs striker then doubled the advantage in the 63rd minute, reacting quickest after Mfundo Vilakazi’s penalty was saved to turn home the rebound.
Just three minutes later, Duba completed his hat-trick and put the result beyond doubt.
Duba ends a long wait for a Chiefs hat-trick
Duba’s treble was more than just a match-winning performance.
According to OptaJabu, he became the first Kaizer Chiefs player to score a hat-trick in the Carling Knockout Cup during the PSL era.
It also ended a remarkable drought for Amakhosi.
No Chiefs player had scored three goals in a single match since 1996, when the competition was played under previous sponsorships including Coca-Cola, Rothmans and Telkom.
That makes Duba’s performance a significant moment for both the player and the club.
Chiefs march into the quarter-finals
While Duba took the headlines, his goals also secured an important cup victory for Kaizer Chiefs.
After struggling to break down TS Galaxy before half-time, Amakhosi found another gear after the interval and turned the match into a comfortable win.
The result sends Chiefs through to the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals, with Duba emerging as the obvious star of the night.
For the young forward, the performance could prove to be an important step as he looks to establish himself as a leading attacking option for Amakhosi.
Is Duba the striker Chiefs have been waiting for?
A hat-trick in a cup knockout match is one thing. Doing it while making club history is another.
The big question now is whether Duba can build on this performance and become a consistent goal-scoring force for Kaizer Chiefs.
Is Wandile Duba the man to lead Amakhosi’s attack for the long term?
