Keagan Dolly will definitely be made available for the Olympic Games‚ but not for friendly warm-up matches‚ said Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane clarifying his understanding of the key attacker’s utilisation in the coming weeks.
PSL Player of the Season nominee Dolly has already been excused from participation in the coming week’s Cosafa Cup for a Bafana Bafana team comprising mostly of the South Africa U-23 players who will take part in the Olympics in August.
The winger will play in Sundowns’ Caf Champions League group stage match against ES Setif in Algeria late on Saturday night.
Mosimane said he wants Dolly to be part of the U-23 team at the Rio Olympics‚ but his proviso is that the player is not called up to warm-up friendlies such as the match against Japan on June 29. And that the player is allowed to turn out for Sundowns in the Champions League until their home game against Zamalek on July 27.
Bafana’s first match of the Olympics is against hosts Brazil on August 4.
“I’m happy that I read in the newspaper that the U-23s won’t call Keagan to play friendly games‚” Mosimane said.
“But as I have told you‚ I was at the airport as Bafana coach and the players were taken from me. I remember Kaizer Chiefs taking the players – Bobby Motaung was taking them like this .
“And the Bafana players on the bus were saying‚ ‘But we want to go and play football’. And it was not fair and it’s not nice.
“So I don’t want that situation again. I was a Bafana coach – I know the frustration of club versus country. So I don’t want to be sitting here and behaving differently.
“I’ll never allow Bra Shakes ‚ Owen da Gama or anyone to go through that. Sundowns players must be available.
“I want Keagan to play at the Olympic Games. He must play in the opening game against Brazil. It’s very important – the whole world will be watching.
“But Owen must understand that Keagan has to play the Zamalek game before that match. Then it’s a win-win situation.
“Then he’ll miss our last two games of the Champions League group stage. And those are crucial games for us.
“Also I played football in Europe. How can I deny Keagan the opportunity to see the world?
“So we will make sure Keagan will be there for all the Olympics. All I’m asking is: ‘Don’t talk to us about friendly games’.”
Playing at the Olympics‚ Dolly will miss Downs’ final two Champions League (ACL) group stage matches against Setif in Pretoria on August 13 and Enyimba in Nigeria on August 23 or 24.
Mosimane said there is a concern at the amount of games Dolly is being expected to play. The winger will have not have a real off-season because of Downs’ participation in the ACL and the Olympics.
“Keagan has been a challenge. But a good challenge. Positive and negative‚” Mosimane said.
“Negative in the number of games he is playing. Fortunately he is young and he has coped. And our physical trainer‚ ‘KB’ ‚ has done a good job managing the load Keagan.”
Dolly announced himself as a new Bafana star with two goals scored from range in 4-0 Africa Cup of Nations away qualifying win against Gambia this month.
Pitso clarifies Downs' position on Dolly at the Olympics
PSL Player of the Season nominee Dolly has already been excused from participation in the coming week’s Cosafa Cup for a Bafana Bafana team comprising mostly of the South Africa U-23 players who will take part in the Olympics in August.
The winger will play in Sundowns’ Caf Champions League group stage match against ES Setif in Algeria late on Saturday night.
Mosimane said he wants Dolly to be part of the U-23 team at the Rio Olympics‚ but his proviso is that the player is not called up to warm-up friendlies such as the match against Japan on June 29. And that the player is allowed to turn out for Sundowns in the Champions League until their home game against Zamalek on July 27.
Bafana’s first match of the Olympics is against hosts Brazil on August 4.
“I’m happy that I read in the newspaper that the U-23s won’t call Keagan to play friendly games‚” Mosimane said.
“But as I have told you‚ I was at the airport as Bafana coach and the players were taken from me. I remember Kaizer Chiefs taking the players – Bobby Motaung was taking them like this .
“And the Bafana players on the bus were saying‚ ‘But we want to go and play football’. And it was not fair and it’s not nice.
“So I don’t want that situation again. I was a Bafana coach – I know the frustration of club versus country. So I don’t want to be sitting here and behaving differently.
“I’ll never allow Bra Shakes ‚ Owen da Gama or anyone to go through that. Sundowns players must be available.
“I want Keagan to play at the Olympic Games. He must play in the opening game against Brazil. It’s very important – the whole world will be watching.
“But Owen must understand that Keagan has to play the Zamalek game before that match. Then it’s a win-win situation.
“Then he’ll miss our last two games of the Champions League group stage. And those are crucial games for us.
“Also I played football in Europe. How can I deny Keagan the opportunity to see the world?
“So we will make sure Keagan will be there for all the Olympics. All I’m asking is: ‘Don’t talk to us about friendly games’.”
Playing at the Olympics‚ Dolly will miss Downs’ final two Champions League (ACL) group stage matches against Setif in Pretoria on August 13 and Enyimba in Nigeria on August 23 or 24.
Mosimane said there is a concern at the amount of games Dolly is being expected to play. The winger will have not have a real off-season because of Downs’ participation in the ACL and the Olympics.
“Keagan has been a challenge. But a good challenge. Positive and negative‚” Mosimane said.
“Negative in the number of games he is playing. Fortunately he is young and he has coped. And our physical trainer‚ ‘KB’ ‚ has done a good job managing the load Keagan.”
Dolly announced himself as a new Bafana star with two goals scored from range in 4-0 Africa Cup of Nations away qualifying win against Gambia this month.
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