Dolly blow for Bafana Bafana

Bafana Bafana’s first major injury blow in the lead up to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations appears to have landed after Keagan Dolly went for a scan on his injured groin, a knock that has already ruled him out of playing for Bafana in the 2019 Cosafa Cup.

The South African Football Association had not officially confirmed Dolly’s absence from Afcon 2019 at the time of going to print, but it did not look good for the 26 year-old, who endured an injury-hit season at Ligue 1 side Montpellier and missed Bafana’s first training session ahead of the Afcon at Steyn City School yesterday.

READ: Bafana to play Uganda in Tuesday’s Cosafa Cup Plate semifinal

“It is a groin injury, it is serious enough for us to be concerned,” said Bafana coach Stuart Baxter, before the results of the scan were known.

“He tweaked it a bit before (at Montpellier) and they managed it, and he came down and in the first Cosafa Cup training he felt it again. It hasn’t got better, and it is a concern, we don’t want to land in Egypt, and it gets a lot worse, and then we are missing a player. We are dealing with it now and then we can make a call.”

Lars Veldwijk was the other player not to train with Bafana yesterday morning, the Sparta Rotterdam striker only landing in the country at 7am to join up with the squad.

Baxter also confirmed that Bafana had been unable to get citizenship pushed through for Joel Untersee and Nikola Tavares, who were named in Bafana’s initial 30-man provisional Afcon squad.
“Those, for the moment, are out of the question, we were led to believe it could go quicker than it actually can. They are back in the loop (of possible players) and are not in my thoughts at the moment.”

When pushed on what the problem is, Baxter responded: “Red tape, paperwork, bureaucracy, all of the above.”

The Bafana coach was also not able to confirm any further friendlies that Bafana have ahead of the Afcon.

“I wish I could tell you, but I haven’t heard anything (more),” he said.

The Bafana coach, meanwhile, offered a balanced view on David Notoane’s Cosafa Cup side, who were beaten on penalties on Sunday by Botswana in the Cosafa Cup.

“I think it was a bit understandable, we played quite well at times, and they were a more intimidating and powerful team on set plays, and we couldn’t cope with it.

“David thought the lads tired towards the end, and I though it was more because we threw together a few players, and tested a few out, and our structure disintegrated in the second half.”

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