Dolly: Broos may be the coach to finally turn around Bafana Bafana

Kaizer Chiefs winger Keagan Dolly believes Hugo Broos may finally be the coach to turn around long-suffering Bafana Bafana.

Dolly, enjoying eye-catching form at Chiefs since a return from France,  said his first impressions from a training session under Broos on Monday were that the 69-year-old Belgian who won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with a young Cameroon is a calm coach who inspires confidence.

Confidence is what is desperately needed by Bafana — gross underachievers for 15 years, where their last World Cup qualification other than as hosts in 2010 was in 2002, and who have reached only three of the last Africa Cup of Nations.

Multiple changes of coaches, poorly thought-out appointments and a lack of foresight by the feuding SA Football Association and Premier Soccer League putting in place an effective development strategy, have made for a sorry return for the national team.

Broos’ youth strategy, omitting ageing big-name stars building for the 2023 Nations Cup and beyond, has resulted in a potential ray of light. Bafana top Group A and are in striking distance of a morale-boosting qualification for the final playoff round of qualification to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“It was my first day. I spoke to him the last time he called me up but I couldn’t make the camp. But he seems a really good guy, very calm,” Dolly said after his recall to the national team for the final two group qualifiers against Zimbabwe at FNB Stadium on Thursday night (kickoff 9pm) and Ghana away on Sunday.

“Ronwen [Williams, Bafana’s captain] was telling me that he’s very calm. And he gives the players the belief.

“And I think that’s what we need as a country. We need to qualify for all these major tournaments and I believe that he’s the guy to help us believe in ourselves and just try our level best on the day to qualify for these tournaments.”

Dolly was called up to the 3-2 friendly win against Uganda in June where Broos’ assistant, Helman Mkhalele, took charge, but withdrew because his wife was giving birth.

Five months later Dolly, 28, returns to a national team growing in confidence with each win on a personal high, revelling in game time again after six injury-plagued but beneficial seasons at Ligue 1 Montpellier.

“It feels good. I’m enjoying myself. The past few years in France were a bit difficult for me in terms of picking up injuries, not playing so much,” he said. “But it’s part of football. It was my journey I had to go through. And I’ve learnt from it — I’ve grown as a person and a player.

“I’m more experienced, I think I’m more decisive when I play. And it just feels good to play week in, week out, being able to help the team win games, and being more decisive with my final pass and scoring goals again.

“I’m happy, I’m back at home and enjoying football again.”