Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz could not have asked for a better start to life in the Betway Premiership after his side powered their way through PSL debutants Kruger United at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night.
Wandile Duba cooks for Amakhosi as they bag all three points and finish the day top of the table 📈#SSDiski | #BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/IKMujLRz1q
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) August 1, 2026
With the score reading 1-1 at halftime, the second-half introduction of Wandile Duba saw the Chiefs star net a 20-minute brace to guide Chiefs to victory in Mpumalanga.
The Glamour Boys wasted little time in taking the game to their opponents and immediately put the PSL newcomers on the back foot as Flavio Silva recorded the first shot at goal in the second minute.
Chiefs needed just six minutes to break the deadlock, with Silva once again getting well-acquainted with the Kruger defence. After stringing together a well-worked passing move inside the Kruger half, Silva was on hand to complete Mfundo Vilakazi’s cut-back pass with a calm finish across the goal.
Amakhosi bossed proceedings thereafter but did little to trouble the Kruger defence leading up to the half-hour mark. Not holding back, Kruger fought back through shots at goal from the likes of Aphiwe Mpohtwa, Khetukuthula Ndlovu and Ntsako Makhubela in quick succession.
Kruger managed to level the score on the stroke of halftime after taking the direct route into the Chiefs area. With the ball played into Makhubela, who did well to hold up play, Ndlovu popped up on the right-hand side of the box before letting off a left-footed curler beyond Brandon Petersen.
The Soweto giants were urgent in their response to Kruger’s late first-half equaliser, as Reeve Frosler took the initiative through shots from outside the box inside 10 minutes of the second 45.
Chiefs’ mounting pressure paid off shortly before the hour-mark, with Duba getting his name on the scoresheet after coming off the bench. With Frosler progressing once more, the Chiefs defender struck a venomous left-footed shot that was parried into the path of Duba, who obliged with a tap-in from close range.
Amakhosi increased their lead in the 66th minute with Duba making the difference for his side yet again. After swift interplay on the edge of the Kruger area, Duba found himself in an inviting position before scoring with a left-footed strike that took a massive deflection on the way in.
Kruger United had no answer to the Soweto giant’s dominance on the ball during the closing stages of the game, while Mlungisi Zwane forced a telling save out of Petersen in the 89th minute of the encounter, which proved to be his side’s final action of the tie.
Kruger United: (1) 1 (Mkhubela 46’)
Kaizer Chiefs: (1) 3 (Silva 6’, Duba 56’ 66’)
Kruger United: Dandjinou, Seedat, Mohammed, Sibiya, Malatjie, Matima (Mahlangu 68’), Nel, Thwala, Ndlovu, Mphothe (Zwane 81’), Makhubela
Kaizer Chiefs: Petersen, Monyane, Miguel, Kwinika, Frosler, Ndlovu (Mthethwa 46’), Maboe, Chislett (Ngcobo 78’), Silva (Duba 46’), Vilakazi, Baartman (Mmodi 85’)