The cyberbullying that has befallen on Wandile Duba is unwarranted, and needs to stop!

Cyberbullying has no place in our society—especially against public figures who have opened up their lives to entertain us.

Wandile Duba has been the subject of scrutiny on social media as his aggressive style on the pitch has resulted in some opponents being sidelined. But the way some critics have reacted to this is unacceptable.

The Kaizer Chiefs forward painfully and surprisingly revealed this week that he has received threats to his life because of his aggression. This even led to him missing their last game against Golden Arrows - which they won 1-0 - as he wasn’t in the right state of mind.

Let’s be clear: I don’t condone Duba’s behaviour, whether intentional or not. But it’s worth noting that football has rules, which referees are there to enforce. Hard tackles are prohibited by those regulations, and they have their place in the game.

So, while there has been a clear lack of trust in our officiating system—worsened by the absence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)—the public cannot take matters into their own hands by threatening players on social media.

We ought to allow the law to take its course, and trust that the powers involved in the sport will find a way to protect the key stakeholders: the players and supporters.

Granted, I may not know Duba well enough to judge his character as a person. But the 21-year-old clearly wears his heart on his sleeve whenever he puts on the gold and black jersey of Amakhosi.

He hates to lose. When the going got tough at Chiefs in recent months, he defied his age and led from the front—even when some of his seniors hid behind excuses like “we are going through a rough patch, like any other football club.”

Chiefs’ Nedbank Cup triumph last season ended a 10-year drought. Credit must go to the players and coach Nasreddine Nabi, but Duba made a prophecy that became reality en route to that crown.

He scored the equaliser in the 2-1 win over Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final and walked away with the Player of the Match award.

In his pre-match media duties, he showed his confidence, declaring: “Niyothi ngasho ukuthi iNedbank Cup siyayithatha” (You’ll remember my words: we are taking the Nedbank Cup).

In the final against arch-rivals, Duba was again in the thick of the action, laying a hard tackle on Orlando Pirates midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula that has since sidelined him. That incident added fuel to the criticism, labelling him a dirty player.

While that moment may have inadvertently helped Chiefs secure the win, Duba should have been more severely punished—instead of receiving just a yellow card. But that didn’t happen.

What I do know is that the Lenasia-born footballer is not beyond repair. He can be coached to become a cleaner player and a more clinical striker. Football is a sport of discipline—both on and off the field.

And at a time when young players are fast becoming the cornerstones of their respective teams—including the big three: Chiefs, Pirates, and Sundowns—I doubt Duba will want to derail his career through ill-discipline.

There have been rumours linking him with a move abroad, which would be great for his growth. But if true, he mustn’t think he’ll succeed just by leaving the local spotlight while keeping up his aggressive ways.

Some leagues demand physicality, but in the right way. There is no room for violent conduct against opponents.

My hope is that Duba quickly learns the fine line between passion and aggression when playing with his heart on his sleeve.

But as he works on that, his critics—and everyone else—must also understand: there is no room for cyberbullying, especially against those who entertain us.