Dolly suffers AFCON injury setback in training

Keagan Dolly has suffered another setback in his bid to be picked in Bafana Bafana’s final AFCON squad as he limped out of training in Johannesburg.

Dolly will be replaced in Bafana’s Cosafa cup by Mamelodi Sundowns left-winger Keletso Makgalwa. South Africa will send a weakened team to compete in the regional tournament but Dolly had been eager to prove his form and fitness after a disrupted club season with Montpellier.

The 26-year-old made just four appearances for his Ligue 1 club’s first team last season, suffering a fractured leg and then hamstring issues in a frustrating campaign.

Dolly had been nervous about the prospect of picking up a knock in training, saying when he was called up: “It is to come here and get fit‚ but also not to go to Afcon tired or having picked up a small injury again.”

His words proved prophetic and now Dolly will be assessed by doctors who will decide if he can go to the Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Regular Under-23 coach David Notoane has been tasked with leading a skeleton crew on the COSAFA cup and his task has only become trickier with the loss of Dolly’s quality and experience.

Notoane has already lost the services of Phakamani Mahlambi with conflicting reports emerging to explain his removal from the squad. The official word is he has been allowed time off to address a personal matter.

Dolly’s replacement in the squad, Makgalwa, made 18 appearances on loan at Maritzburg United in the first half of this past season‚ but was recalled to Sundowns in January and spent his time on the sidelines.

The Cosafa Cup will be staged in Durban and will run concurrently with a senior Bafana training camp in Johannesburg with players who will be preparing for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). South Africa have a bye through the group stage and first play Botswana in the quarterfinals on 2 June.