Captaincy candidate Keagan Dolly has been allowed to remain in the service of Mamelodi Sundowns and will arrive late in the South African Under-23 camp for the Rio Olympics.
The SA Football Association announced on its website on Friday that Dolly will be one of four players who have been given official permission to join the squad in Brazil.
The rest of the 18-man squad will depart Johannesburg for Rio on Saturday, with Dolly, Kaizer Chiefs duo Itumeleng Khune and Erick Mathoho and French-based striker Lebogang Mothiba staying with their clubs for the next week or so.
Midfield playmaker Dolly will remain with Sundowns for their return African Champions League clash against Zamalek next Wednesday in Atteridgeville after playing a starring role in a 2-1 victory in Cairo last Sunday.
The unbeaten “Abafana Ba Style” need just a draw to qualify for the semi-finals.
Dolly is a strong contender to lead the SA Under-23s in Rio as he was the skipper in the last few games of the Olympic qualifiers. Coach Owen da Gama has recently stated that the other possibilities are defenders Rivaldo Coetzee and Kwanda Mngonyama.
“Keagan is a true gem and we understand why his club has requested to still keep him for as long as they can,” Da Gama said on the Safa website. “We are all supporting Mamelodi Sundowns in their quest to conquer the continent, and therefore we have agreed that he may stay behind and join us later.
“We also have the situation of Lebo Mothiba, who plays for Lille FC in France. He is also expected to join his compatriots on Wednesday, July 27 – this comes after he was promoted to the first team at this club and they are currently in pre-season training.”
Khune and Mathoho will turn out for Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Champion Cup pre-season friendly against Orlando Pirates next Saturday, July 30 at the FNB Stadium. They are set to leave Johannesburg the next day for Brazil.
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Independent Media