Duba’s Cheeky Backflick Caps Off 5-Goal Thriller At Dobsonville Against Siwelele

Dobsonville Stadium was treated to a feast of stunning goals on a chilly Sunday night in Soweto, where Wandile Duba scored a cheeky backflick as Kaizer Chiefs earned a 3-2 victory over Siwelele in the Betway Premiership.

It marks an encouraging start for new Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz, whose side remains unbeaten through five league matches. The win—which was never in doubt given Chiefs’ dominant first-half performance—sees Amakhosi move up to third in the table with 11 points from five matches.

Siwelele entered the match still searching for their first victory of the campaign. Chiefs, on the other hand, arrived as one of only three undefeated clubs alongside defending champions Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. In fact, Siwelele have won just once away from home since purchasing SuperSport United’s top-flight franchise at the start of last season—a sole victory against Stellenbosch FC.

Chiefs dominated the opening exchanges and could easily have been three goals up inside the opening half-hour. Duba was at the center of the action: he had one effort ruled out for offside despite looking clearly onside, and dragged another shot wide with his left foot when he should have taken a touch with his right before firing.

Amakhosi finally broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Lebohang Maboe released Mfundo Vilakazi on the break, allowing the youngster to clip the ball over Samukelo Xulu into an empty net. Maboe showed precisely why he was recalled to the Bafana Bafana preliminary squad by his former coach Pitso Mosimane. Dobsonville Stadium holds fond memories for Maboe, who scored a career-defining hat-trick at the venue for Mamelodi Sundowns against Black Leopards to snatch the 2019/20 league title away from Chiefs on the final day of the season.

Amakhosi—who dropped four points against Siwelele last season—carried their attacking impetus into the second half, pinning the visitors back by utilizing the full width of the pitch.

Chiefs doubled their lead in fine style in the 65th minute. Working a short corner, Mduduzi Shabalala delivered a precise cross for Duba to guide home with an audacious backflick, leaving Xulu stranded in goal. It was a superb piece of improvisation by Duba, who richly deserved to get on the scoresheet.

However, Chiefs’ two-goal cushion was halved just three minutes later when Aphiwe Baliti was set up by Teboho Potsane, and the left-back unleashed a strike past Brandon Petersen that crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

With Siwelele pushing forward in search of an equalizer, Dobsonville was treated to another moment of quality. Faiz Abrahams—who joined Chiefs on loan from Stellenbosch FC—unleashed a thunderous free-kick that bounced off the post and hit Xulu on the back before going in for Chiefs’ third.

Unfortunately for Abrahams, it will be recorded as an own goal, depriving him of his first senior goal despite celebrating wildly. Abrahams had another opportunity to score shortly after when Ox Mthethwa delivered a pinpoint cross, but he stumbled at the critical moment and Siwelele cleared the danger.

Potsane set up a tense finish in the 92nd minute by playing a clever reverse pass to Michel N’Guessan, who scored with his very first touch of the match to make it 3-2, though Chiefs safely navigated the remaining stoppage time to hold on for all three points.